34. And not getting younger.

I'm 34 today.


Dude, that is old. Half my life ago was one of my favorite summers, the summer I was 17. So, instead of talking about my 34 year old self, I'll remember some things about the year I was 17. Ah, watch Becky wax nostalgic.

1. I drove a big brown Ford Torino that had a pole shaped dent in the bumper, from hitting a big pole. I had inherited the car from my sister Amy. It took 2 tanks of gas to drive to and from Salt Lake.
2. I was doing a ballet summer camp at Ballet West with my friend Rebecca.
3. I lived in the basement of a house full of college girls, one of whom was Rebecca's step sister. She kept an annoyingly close eye on us, but we still managed to get away with a lot.
4. Every morning, we would walk to the university. She would count how many times I tripped over curbs and stuff (it was usually a lot).
5. I spent most of my nights with Rebecca watching the 1992 summer Olympics. Of course, we loved watching the gymnastics most of all.
6. But on some nights, we would sneak off to talk about our boyfriends and smoke at Sugar House Park.
7. Since I had a summer birthday, I'd never had a reason for a school class to sing happy birthday. So it was the first time I'd ever been sung to in class. I liked it more than I wanted to admit. Summer birthdays are a gyp.
8. I dated 3 different guys the year I was 17: Daron, Theo, and Gary. I don't know that any of them ever met my parents.
9. My best friends when I was 17 were Cindy, Rebecca, and Angie.
10. 17 meant that I was a senior in high school, even though I went to community college instead.
11. 17 was the year I went to my first Grateful Dead concert. A concert shouldn't be a milestone in someones life, but it was in mine. It was the beginning of an era that defined who I was. It was the fun era.
12. I had never tasted alcohol before I was 17.
13. I think 17 was about the perfect age.
14. And since I can't think of anything else good about being 17, I'll say this: I secretly love my birthday. It still carries a little bit of the magic that it did when I was young.
15. Part of my birthday present this year was a run on the Jordan River parkway with my hubby yesterday. My kids rode their bikes and scooters with us, and it was about as perfect a moment as I could ever have dreamed. I love running with Shane because we have the best talks.
16. I took today off. I like not working on my birthday.
17. I am glad I'm 34, because I feel stronger in my life than I ever have. I'm doing everything I want, and I know that good things are in store. So even though I loved 17, 34 looks pretty good too. And, it's much better than the alternative.