in 4 hours and 2 minutes, i’ll be 34. this morning when my mom asked me where the time had gone, i spent some time musing on the answer and happy that i seem to be succeeding at cramming 2 or 3 lifetimes into one.
33 was a great year. i marked 10 years knowing my bebe, the love of my life and my partner in crime, finished midwifery school (thank christ), got hired on as the assistant academic director of the midwifery school where i graduated (and LOVE my job), started teaching midwifery students (SO much more satisfying than teaching english), doggedly pursued and skin-of-the-teeth got our dream house (crooked floors and all), deepened relationships with several amazing friends (frontporchigans!), visited the new mexico desert, enjoyed a magical summer (THE BACONING!, house-sitting, gardening, skinny dipping, cooking, eating), learned homesteading 101 (wood stoves, ice dams, slick driveways, mice, squirrels, frozen pipes, company over for the weekend!!), was gifted a VERY light winter (so far), started designing an academic curriculum for a new birth worker program (stay tuned!), and got a primary care provider (look at me adulting!).
34 should be just as interesting. i’m taking the NARM exam in a month or so and will then be opening my practice in north conway. it will be interesting to juggle an infant practice with my work at birthwise, but i feel very up to the challenge. dear sweet baby jeebus, i miss birth! this break that i’ve taken has been vital to my well-being, but i can feel it’s time to get back up on it again.
i’m also delving deeper into some allopathic treatment for myself. those of you who know me have probably noticed my crazy neck issues. i’ve had benign thyroid nodules since i was 19 (larger mass, lower right neck, nicknamed “trump”), but i’ve developed another concerning mass (smaller, upper left neck, nicknamed “mcconnell”) that needs attention. i have an ultrasound scheduled for next tuesday, and i have referral for an endocrinologist at maine medical very soon. no clue how we’re paying for it (yay, $6k deductible) but everything that needs to happen works out, so there’s that.
*absolute* worst-case scenario, i’ll have to have my thyroid removed. i’ve never been under general anesthesia–that will make a great blog i’m sure! medium-case scenario, i’ll just have lovely lady lumps in my neck forever. best case, someone will say “hey here’s a non-invasive treatment for that!” we shall see. other than that, i’m healthy as a horse apparently!
the other nice part about seeing an endocrinologist will be opening new doors for fertility options. 34 would be a great age to pop out a first babe. stay tuned.
re: goals #1 and #2, 34-year-old birthday suit
other goals for my year are 1) to continue to try new things, especially those that scare me or take me out of my comfort zone, 2) to practice more body positivity and encourage others to do the same (otherwise you waste a shitload of your life!), 3) to plant a garden, harvest, can and cook my own food, 4) to get chickens, 5) to learn to become even more self-sufficient in our homestead, 6) to apply for a mortgage and buy our house with no down payment, and 7) to rust the shit out of this tin roof.
much fun ahead!
to be continued…
idylls of acadia 