I don’t think there is a better way to celebrate a birthday thank watching the sunrise the hour you were born.

Saturday morning started at 5:15 am with a hot shower, a hilarious birthday card from my husband, and staring at myself in the mirror. As I studied my face I wondered if I looked my new age – could people tell I was a year older…beginning the last year of my 30’s? The wrinkles around my eyes and on my forehead seemed more pronounced than they did the day before.

Many times people consider the “0” birthdays as the big ones, but for me it’s always been the “9” birthdays that feel really significant. They’ve been the ones I’ve looked back and reflected on what the last decade of life brought me, as well as a time that I looked forward to try and present my best footing for the new decade ahead. Needless to say, there has been a lot of contemplating and reflecting the last few months, and definitely excitement, but also some fear and feelings of really being aware of how precious our time with loved ones is.

After showering, packing up and checking out of our hotel, the next stop was Starbucks for that all-important free birthday drink, and then on to Bombay Hook to catch the sunrise. It was cold, and neither David nor I were prepared for that kind of cold, but I could help but feel lucky to be standing next to my best friend, enjoying the beauty around us.