I always get a little nostalgic this time of year.

Its hard not to when on TV and the radio people review everything that has gone on in the past year.

I even prepare myself for nostalgia.

First, it would be a complete disservice if I did not order you all to go see Garden State. I have fallen completely in love with this move, and not just because I'm in love with Zach Braff. The soundtrack is TREMENDOUS, and I've been listening to that continuously. That and "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride.

Incidentally, the Garden State DVD will be released on my birthday (December 28th). Because my birthday happens to fall 3 days after Christmas (December 28th), and 3-4 days before New Years (December 28th), which all depends on if you count the 31st or the 1st as New Years. I get extra nostalgic this time of year.

Sometime in early November I saw Garden State, which is a very thoughtful movie. Then in late November, I went to my high school reunion where I basically saw parts of my past again. When you take things one day at a time, you sometimes lose track of all the days gone by, who you were, and where you've been.

I have my last final on Friday, which is the end of a semester. Personally, this was a very long semester and I'm glad its over (hopefully I wont be taking any subjects along with me for another semester). The next semester is from January until May, with a 2 week Spring Break in between. In May we all fly off to our respective internships. (I dont know where mine will be yet) My expected date of graduation is May 2006, and pretty soon this will all be over, and these people won't be part of my everyday life anymore. Sometimes I wonder if CLS Boy will be there too. I hope so.

I'm also in awe, and completely excited for my 28th birthday (December 28th). I remember when I was 13, I thought I would be this big adult at age 24, married, with all the trimmings. I'm almost 28, and I still can't imagine that life in the recent future.

I am a lover of birthdays. Its the one day I dont mind that all the attention is on me. ME! I embrace my birthday (December 28th). I dont have any year I would want to go back and relive. I like moving forward. Even my Dad gets a little nostalgic, and goes over the events that occured the day of my birth. Snow, getting stuck on the side of the road, and how happy he was that I was a girl. My mother on the other hand is in denial about her age. Even though she's a grandmother, she prefers to be ageless, so she gives me a happy birthday hug, the mushiest card of the year, and a little gift. Then I feel like a little girl again, and sometimes I wish I was. Mainly because the focus was on storytelling, games, and lots of happy things. Now its more of, "When are you going to settle down?" I'm confident that things will happen the way they are supposed to, when they are supposed to.

But my friends keep talking about things we should do on my birthday (December 28th), and all these secret plans and secret gifts. I feel so special.

My head is filled with all of these little thoughts. One thing I see in myself is that I'm more comfortable in my own skin with each passing year, no matter what the events of the year gave to me.

I like that.