Late twenties

On this day of days, September 11th 2012 I celebrate my 27th year of life and read 9/11 anniversary quotes and comments on facebook, in between liking birthday wishes on my wall. I've also noticed a disturbing pattern of friends posting birthday wishes and then immediately taking to their statuses to post photos of the twin towers with somber captions beneath. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!" "Never forget, united we stand." Both of which are independently excellent uses of social networking. Well-wishing and remembering the most recent American catastrophe to occur on the mainland. And yet another reason I'm always glad I'm living abroad in France when my birthday rolls around. Hello Normandie! Hello grey skies! Soon you'll clear up and deliver my sister and boyfriend and my boyfriend to my cozy (read: small) French apartment and all shall be well! Tomorrow I'll look up 9/11 tributes after the entirety of American media has had its chance to review events from 12 years ago while I am sleeping, but TODAY! Today, I've decided two things: 1) I'm going public with my blog. It's time. I initially started Vernon! VerYES! to contemplate and record all the exciting aspects of moving to a new country but since I stayed 2 years past my contract start date I've decided to open up to the world. Maybe the French world of blogging in Normandie is larger than it seems!! Aaaaaand most of my English speaking friends have moved home so I need more. 2)I'm officially in my late twenties. 28 year olds might tell me I have one more year to go and 24 year olds might tell me I've been a member and paying dues for 3 but I've decided for myself. It's time! If I were to die tomorrow from slipping in the ever present piles of dog poo in Rouen the newspapers would read "27 year old woman dies" and people around the world would say, "Oh she lived a good life" whereas if a 20 year old dies, people say "Life was cut short! She had yet to really live!!" It's time to grow up and really embrace life and living it. Not grow up like stop going out and being ridiculous, but really enjoying and taking advantage of everything in front of me. Finding a career I like, finding a city to live in, making some decisions that I can live with for the next 5 years at least. On that note, I WILL take advantage of the sliver of sunshine. I will get outside of my apartment and enjoy the people in my city. I will buy one of the greatest of French inventions, the macaron. And I will celebrate another year of life and all of its exciting surprises to come.