Bring on the cake, the confetti, the kazoos.
Put on your party clothes, raise your glass, and sing your lungs out.
This week I turn 41!
I can hardly believe another year has gone by. Only one year ago I was celebrating the big 4-0 in a tiny village in the gorgeous Quilatoa Loop of Ecuador. It was magical, and I got a little verklempt talking about it with ya’ll.
(Oh yeah, I just mixed Yiddish with Southern slang. You can do stuff like that when you get to be my age.)
Just two years ago we were still knee-deep in possessions and working hard to rid ourselves of the last few sentimental things. My good friends in Seattle came by to help me out, buying 39 of my favorite items so they didn’t have to go to strangers (and forcing me to drink way too much wine while singing along to Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain - I’m glad no one brought a video camera). What I thought was going to be a traumatic experience turned into a the best birthday of my life, opening up the emotional space to receive so much more in the coming year.
This year we are on yet another continent and I am celebrating in beautiful Thailand. Next week we reach a major milestone as we submit our first book proposal, and I’m celebrating with a massage, a new turtle tattoo and dinner with my man. There is no gift I could receive that is better than living the good life we worked so hard to achieve and sharing the journey with you.
But if you were so inclined to get me a gift, I’ll make it easy.
Betsy’s Dirt-Cheap Birthday Wish List:
- Get a little something for yourself. Sign up for our Try Something New ezine. Twice a month we interview regular, everyday people who have tried something new, give you the inside scoop and resources to try it yourself. You probably won’t want to try everything, but you will be motivated by their stories to add a little more zing to your own life. Let’s all commit to trying something new in 2012. (and did I mention, it’s free?)
- Take a load off. You don’t have to go to the lengths we did to see a major energy (and cash) boost from getting rid of the stuff you no longer use. Reminders of the person you used to be or failed to be are preventing you from enjoying who you are in the present. We wrote the eBook Getting Rid of It: Eliminate the Clutter from Your Life and priced it at a low $4.99 on Amazon so you could get it now without adding to your load. Buy it, use it, and donate your proceeds to buying yourself a fun new experience (see, I never let up with this Try Something New thing) or contributing to option #3. You know you’re going to want this for your new year’s resolutions anyway, right?
- Lend a helping hand. Head on over to Fund the Farm, a program started by my friend Amber to bring awareness and help create a better life for foster kids in Louisiana. Amber is in the process of becoming a foster mom herself, and after seeing the breakdowns and problems in the system she decided to do something about it instead of complain. You can help her change young lives for as little as $5, and if you live in Louisiana you won’t want to miss the fundraising epic concerts she’ll be promoting in 2012. Amber’s heart is huge, but her wallet is not. We have already donated to Fund the Farm.
There you go. For $10 you can get the Try Something New ezine for motivation all year long, the Getting Rid of It eBook (which will pay you back at least 10-fold by the weekend if you have as much extra crap as most people), and help foster kids in Louisiana get out of the system and into a home. That’s a bargain any way you look at it.
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for subscribing, watching, commenting, emailing, Skyping, tweeting, Facebooking, donating, buying our books, sharing and virtually traveling along with us on this journey. My life is richer because of you, and I can hardly believe how lucky I am to have you in my life.
If you feel even half the way about me as I do about you, we’re in for a serious love-fest in 2012. Are you ready?
(blowing out the candles now…let the singing begin!)
About Betsy
Happy Birthday Betsy…I know you’ll enjoy it and continue down this wonderful road of adventure with Warren for many years to come.
Thank you, Grant. I’m looking forward to the surprise of not knowing where we’ll be each year on our birthdays or what we’ll be doing. This year we’re submitting a book proposal. Next year, we might be working at a research facility in the North Pole. Really, you just never know!
Happy Birthday, Betsy!
I hope you have a wonderful day today… and many, many more.
(If your ears were burning over the weekend, I was telling a friend all about you (and Warren) and your grand adventure).
As for “Getting Rid of It”, I’m enjoying it immensely. It’s nice to know it wasn’t such an easy thing for you to “let go” of everything, at first. It’s all very apropos, as I am moving into a new house in January. While I’m not completely eliminating my possessions, I’m definitely weeding out the crap!
You are a terrific inspiration to me in all that you do… so, thank you.
~
Hi, Angie. I’m so glad you are finding the Getting Rid of It ebook useful. It really is a mental exercise much more than a physical one, and I can’t tell you how much better you’ll feel after getting rid of the stuff you don’t need anymore (whether it is 3 boxes or a whole house full of stuff - everyone is different). If it doesn’t serve you, then it is just taking up space and crowding your freedom.
Good luck with the purge and the move, and enjoy your beautiful new space!
PS - We LOVE it when people talk about us, so keep doing it.
Have a very happy birthday! Can’t wait to see a pic of the turtle tattoo:)
Hey, Rhonda. We got the artwork done last week and it looks really good. We have two turtles at our guesthouse (tao lek and tao yai) that I’ve been feeding every morning after breakfast. They bring a lot of peace to the start of my day, and I felt inspired to mark our time in Thailand with a tribute to these deliberate, long-living creatures. Maybe some of that will rub off on me.
Picture on Facebook on Saturday!
What a lovely idea to do a tribute to the peace they bring you. Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Betsy!
Thanks, Erin. We are finishing up our book proposal and hope to carve out some time for a little frivolity to celebrate - I’ll keep you and Simon posted.
Happy, happy, happy, happy birthday!! I’m holding up a big bloody mary toasting you now…never mind that it’s 10am in the morning…you deserve it!
Congrats on a year full of rich experiences…so more to come!
Sherry
Oh, Sherry. I seriously approve of the bloody mary - thank you!
Thanks so much, Betsy and Warren, for all you have done to “Fund the Farm!” It would be impossible to accomplish such a feat without folks like you in my corner. I’m saving you both a seat at FosterJam in 2012!
Amber, I’m excited to see how this works out. You have some huge things planned for 2012 to make this happen, and we’re in your corner all the way.
Happy 41st Betsy! Isn’t life just grand.? So happy you’re enjoying the day, your adventures and all that lays ahead.
Jody, life is grand, and not only because I’m in Thailand. I just checked out your recent post on full moon yoga - what a beautiful experience! A friend just gave me my very own yoga mat (a luxury for a girl who travels with just a backpack), and I’m looking forward to more yoga in my life no matter what the location.
Thank you for your warm birthday wishes.
Happy birthday! I’ve been following along with your blog for the past year and just loving it. You are an inspiration!
Tricia, thanks for the birthday love and for jumping in the comments for the first time. We’d love to hear more from you!
Happy Birthday Betsylicious!!
Now, I dare you to try and top year 41 with all the amazing things you did in year 40. I DOUBLE DARE YOU!!
(Like you needed ANY motivation!)
Oh my, Dalene. You know I’m the type of girl who LOVES a dare. Bring it on!
Happy Birthday Betsy. I am so fortunate to have discovered you both via this blog on the very day you set out on your amazing adventure. Every day for over a year now I have looked forward to dropping by to visit you both with a cup of coffee in hand, and dream of the day that I too can experience the thrill of travelling the world. Although I am much older, (you two are the age of my youngest) and now alone, I still dream of seeing much more of our wonderful world. Bless you both for sharing your lives and dreams with us, and I wish you many, many more years together to travel this life in such an inspiring way. Treasure each experience and memory that you share together, they are priceless! Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to seeing where you’ll be next December!
Lynn, thank you so much for your kind comments. We love sharing this journey with you. We recently met a woman who has a daughter near our age - she has just retired to Thailand and is having the time of her life with new friends and experiences. Discovery is available at almost any age, and we hope you are able to indulge your dreams very soon.
Wherever we are next December, we’ll save a virtual seat for you right next to us on the blog.
Happy Birthday Betsy! I’ve really enjoyed following you guys along on your wonderful life journey. I hope you have many many more years of great experiences ahead of you.
And I’m right behind you- I turn 41 in June
Alisa, if I had known how much fun the 40s were I would have ditched my 20s altogether to get here faster (no way I’d give up the 30s, they were pretty great, too). Thanks for your good wishes. You and Warren are almost the same age - he turns 41 in May. (Whoops, the cat’s out of the bag. Does that make me a cougar?)
Congrats and have an amazing year.
Shawn
Thanks, Shawn. I always think of my birthday as the start of my next year (well, it is, isn’t it?) and this is the time of year I think about my goals and plans for the new year. By the time January 1 rolls around I’m already heavy into it.
Happy Birthday, Betsy! That green drink looks delicious!
Joanna, we stumbled on that Belgian chocolate shop on a very warm day last week and couldn’t resist the mint chocolate shake. It really was delicious!
Have a picture taking, memory making, birthday caking, and . . . age faking kind of day!
nrhatch, I hesitated putting my age out there not because I’m worried about it, but my beautiful Mamacita might not like people doing the math to figure out her age. She’d prefer it if I continued to tell people I was 29 forever!
Happy birthday Betsy! Have a fabulous day! Bet in a million years at your 39th birthday you never imagined you’d be celebrating your 41st where you are…………….
Judy, you hit on one of my favorite things about this unpredictable life we’ve designed for ourselves. Even before we started traveling we pushed ourselves to do new things all the time, and I was always amazed to look back and think, “Wow, I never imagined 2 years ago I’d be HERE doing THIS right now!” It never fails to help me realize the good fortune that comes from being open to new experiences. Who knows where or what we’ll be doing next year at this time? And isn’t it fabulous that as of right now it is a surprise waiting to be discovered?
Thank you for the birthday wishes.
Happy Birthday to my sweet Baby Girl! Nothing makes a mom prouder than to know that her children are happy and loved! You are blessed by both. I love you and hope your day is absolutely glorious. (I still have reservations about the tattoo!)
Happy Birthday Betsy! We’re raising a glass for you
Excited to learn more about the projects you have cookin’ - you two are traveling the world AND getting stuff done (sounds familiar!)
So excited for your next year and so happy to be able to follow you through it. Cheers and I will bring the beer. Amor y besos!
Paz
How funny! I’m pretty sure you received my “which book title do you like” email on your birthday!! lol!! So being the awesome person you are, you take the time to respond to my marketing feedback query on your b-day.
41?? Wow . . . you’re old.
Pretty soon mid-life crisis will be settling in . . . uh . . . wait a minute; it already did. 
Happy B-day! For your gift I went on over to Fund the Farm and dropped a little cash. Do you feel warm all over now? (I know I do . . . but I just wet my pants.)
(Continue to) Be Present. Expect Success. Live with Passion!
T
PS-Loved the TSN River-Rafting Video. (Where those the “kiddie” rapids? Weeeeeee!!)
PPS-Where did the Turtle tat go; some place only Warren gets t see it? lol!!! “I got a tur-tle on my right but-tock” [said with Forrest Gump voice]