28 Things | Turning 28

Last year on my birthday I wrote a reflection blog 27 Things Turning 27 . It was a random list of things that were particularly prominent that year or would remind me of that time. I thought it was rather clever and it was fun to write, so I think I may make it a yearly habit. Only time will tell.

That said here is list of random things from this past year. There is no particular order to this list.

1. [Food] Dosas Before this year I was a stranger to both piri piri grilled chicken wings and dosas. After this year I have become an avid fan. I even wrote a blog about dosas. I don’t think I shall ever get over dosas. Come what may I’m glad God brought dosas into my life! Just when you think the world of food can’t get any better, it does!
2. [Transitions] Moving. My family moved from the home I grew up in. I moved flats, moved to a new job. My friends from my university course all moved. Everyone scattered to different corners of the earth (or the UK) so to speak.
3. [Mold] The Battle with the Black Mould. I didn’t want to add this one to the list, but to be fair it has been a bit of a defining feature of the year. It’s made both me and my flatmate sick, so I’m looking forward to getting away to a mould-free residence next year.
4. [Furniture] My couch. I bought a couch this year. Not the first couch I’ve ever bought, but it was a big step in making my current flat more homey and comfortable. It has provided a space for my flatmate and I to watch TV together, relax and just make this place we’re living in a real home.
5. [Transport] The Tube. I’ve taken the tube and the train more this year than previously. My commute to work has made it to where I now tune out the people around me whereas I used to always be actively looking.
6. [Card Game] Hand and foot. This year I learned a new card game called Hand and Foot that I’ve grown to love. It’s been a fun way to spend time with my family when we’re all in different places.
7. [Food] Peri Peri grilled chicken wings. Another food item that was memorable this year was my new affinity for piri piri grilled chicken wings. It started during my time in The Box (an ultra small, rat-infested apartment I stayed in for a week). The one bright spot during that time was when me and my friends would go to this food shop that sold spicy peri peri wings with peri peri fries. It was the first time I tried them, and it has been a bright spot this year (as all food is for me).
8. [Skills] First dates. It has felt very challenging to put myself out there again and again. Through it all I’ve gotten pretty good at talking to and meeting new people. It has been my lens of this year, in that I’ve had to take a hard look, again and again, at who I am and what I want my future to look like. When you date people it forces you to really clarify exactly what you want. Seeing someone else and how they are different or similar, and how you are similar or different around them is a mirror that lets you see yourself sometimes. The most important thing I’ve realised though is that I need to trust my gut. I used to doubt that I knew what I really wanted. If there’s one thing I’ve come to know though, it’s that for the important things I do know what I want. I need to trust myself more.
9. [Colour] Teal. I have a teal backpack, a teal mini bag, a teal phone case, teal seems to be the colour I’ve been drawn to this year.
10. [Topic] ADHD. From working with people, to research, to friends and family, to design work I’ve undertaken — I’ve really grown in my understanding of neurodivergance and how ADHD can affect people. I’ve gotten to interview a lot of people on the topic for one of my projects. It has been a look into a whole different world and way of being. It has helped me see how little I really know about how the human mind works and ways we all need support to thrive given different constraints we are working under.
11. [Activity] Yoga. I’ve gotten back into yoga and a more regular rhythm. In addition to this I went on a yoga retreat for the first time!
12. [Show] The Mentalist. This is a crime show about an ex psychic who helps a unit fight crime. I love the dynamics between the characters and tension of different personalities.
13. [Movie] Dune 2. This was the year Dune 2 came out! What a movie it was, visually stunning and the story sweeps you along. My favorite moment in the movie is when he rides the sand worm for the first time. Watching it in the theaters I felt like I was there.
14. [Activity] Solo trip! This was also the first year I took a solo trip that wasn’t for work. It helped me see that even when I’m out of school I can still push myself outside my comfort zone and find new friends.
15. [Author] P.G. Wodehouse. Time and again I return to his books. They are an anchor that brings me back to my sense of humor and help me no matter what mood I’m in!
16. [Material] Pseudo-Silk. I heard that its better for your skin and hair so I bought pseudo silk pajamas and pillow cases. It feels like a little bit of luxury.
17. [Food] Bubble and squeak! I tried it for the first time, today on my birthday. It did not disappoint, and was a tasty little addition to my breakfast. It tasted like a potato cake with a flair.
18. [Animals] Bears. For whatever reason, when visiting my family in Canada I saw multiple black, cuddly looking black bears! This after years of visiting and never seeing a bear more than every once in a blue moon.
19. [Song] Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I found this from a very uninspired and bland rom com that came out this year. The movie wasn’t memorable, but something about this song tickled my fancy. It’s my new favorite to cook or clean to!
20. [Concert] Beatenberg. I saw them for the second time! Each time their music moves me. Nothing is better than a live concert in my mind.
21. [Place] Corfu. I visited Corfu, Greece this year. It has been one of the places on my dream list for awhile. It met and exceeded my expectations.
22. [Feelings] Overwhelmed. I have often felt overwhelmed or stretched beyond my capacity this past year. Not always in a particularly bad way.
23. [Mantra] Less is more. In all aspects of my life I have tried to embrace that this year. At work taking on less projects. Doing less activities. Traveling less. Saying less. Going less places. Buying less. Reading less books. It’s an odd way to approach life and extremely counterintuitive to me. It is going against something deeply ingrained in me that is always shouting for more! In doing less, I have found more. Appreciated more. Had more time to invest in a few close relationships. I’ve thought also that if I do less I must have more to show for it in the few things I do invest in. However in this season I have planted many seeds, but I am not by any means an outrageously good ukelele player, or a stellar designer beyond compare. However I do feel more at peace and glad. I’ve also found by doing less I have had the time and space to grow.
24. [Imagery] A tree putting down roots. This past year or so I have kept thinking of a small seed, that grows into a tree sending down deep roots. On walks several times I have noticed trees along the path, breaking through concrete walls, roads, and containers. There is a quiet strength there. They grow wherever they are planted with a steady and imperceptible persistence. There is something to be learned there.
25. [Colour] Yellow. My bright yellow water bottle.
26. [People] Neighbors. I have a terrible neighbor who is an absolute pill and annoyance. On the flipside I have some lovely people as neighbors on my floor, on who has a friendly cat! This cat brightens my day, meowing at my door and will run in to play, or greet me on my way in or out of the apartment.
27. [Flowers] Glowing blue wildflowers. On my walks I keep noticing these wildflowers that grow on the side of the road here, along brick walls. They have deep green, large leaves, and small star-like, periwinkle petals. The effect on a rainy day is that the flowers almost seem to glow. They blend into the foliage and add a subtle twinkle to the many shades of green and wet foliage.
28. [Song] Be Who You Are by Jon Batiste. This song has drawn me back time and again. I think it’s a wonderful celebration of the idea that we should embrace who we are and lean into and limiting the extent to which we let others or our environment change how we respond and be.

Do you have a yearly birthday reflection? These are one of my favorite posts to read. Please share what you have in the comments!