I’ve been waiting a long time to jam to this song on my 23rd birthday! And be able to say (until my 24th birthday) that NOBODY LIKES YOU WHEN YOU’RE 23! And if you happen to not know what I’m referring too…Google is calling your name.

In anticipation of this birthday, I’ve been thinking a lot about being 23. I used to think it was old… I know it’s not. But I have this weird mindset about numbers and age.
Age has always been a weird thing for me. Numbers in general have been so confusing. The world is basically run by numbers. Think about it. From the baby years to your older years. The number of words you speak, the number of steps you took, the number of degrees you have, the number of dollars you make an hour, the number of days in a month, the number of months in a year, the number of ducks in a row, the number of friends you have, the number of this and that and fucking everything!

It’s crazy. Someone like me can’t handle all that shit. So I’m throwing all of that out the window – age doesn’t matter! In so many aspect of life – it just doesn’t matter!

So I think I relate to this song very heavily.

With the famous line, “I never wanna act my age, what’s my age again, what’s my age again?” I’m just trying to L I V E, and not at act any kind of other way or age and just be who I want to be. And I do. I make my own choices, live my own life and I don’t have a care in the world as to what others think or what my age is in relevance to where I’m at in life.

Also, as someone who did things a little differently than most, like getting married and moving away at 19 (thanks for the example, Mom & Dad) 😉 – I stopped worrying about what I was “supposed” to be doing at 19 years old or at any age – because I tried that – and it consisted of losing my mind everyday in college classes and losing pieces of myself trying to be a “normal” 19 year old. Well I threw away the word “normal” a long time ago – even before I was 19 – and I should have known better than to try “normal” on for size again.

What’s my age again?

So moving away and being with the person I love has been the best thing I ever could have done. Regardless of any doubt or worry about my age – we have such good a wonderful life together, and I can’t wait to continue celebrating more days like today – being who I am – unapologetically! I have never felt so happy in my life.

It’s a weird contradiction – I plan to mentally stay 23 forever – even though age doesn’t mean a thing!

Also, shout out to Chet for the best birthday present last year – which was the gift of music, being able to hear this amazing song LIVE in Nashville!

Here are a few of my favorite moments from this past year that led up to today –  23!