28: Gonna. be. GREAT.

I was born 28 years ago yesterday. I spent most of the day on Grand Isle, monitoring vegetation with NRCS. (In other words, took a long walk down a beach on the Gulf of Mexico looking at trees and sometimes dune grasses.)


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NRCS and the local conservation district planted about 100 Sand Live Oaks along the island about a year ago. Quercus geminata was native, but has mostly disappeared from Louisiana. With some acorns from Mississippi, a plant expert grew a whole bunch of them. Over 90 of the trees have survived the first year.



I learned a new tree (8): rattlebox, called such for the dried up seed pods that dangle from the branches well after the leaves have left for the year--



Here are 27 things I did when I was 27, in no particular order:

1. Completed/ survived my first semester as an adjunct professor.
2. Completed/ survived my first full year without a nerve block since 2000.
3. Moved to Arizona for the winter.
   
4. Pet a baby burro.
   
5. Visited at least nine national parks.
6. Earned a free national parks pass for racking up over 250 volunteer hours with the federal government.
7. Dealt with my breakup with Peace Corps.
8. Discovered a deep and abiding love for soil.
   
   (here I was discovering a wolf spider with my shovel, and exploring the free soil pit bestowed upon me when my favorite tree in the woods at Johnsonburg fell)
9. Met Josh Ritter and Austin Nevins.
   
10. Said goodbye to Uncle Fred.
11. Said hello again to my cat, Red (short for Red Oak, the state tree of NJ).
    
12. Returned to a job that I loved, to support people that I love.
    
13. Ran my fifth Muddy Buddy.
    
14. Signed up to move to New Orleans.
15. Discovered an allergy to anxiety.
16. Traveled to five new states (UT, WV, KY, AL, LA).
17. Tried satsumas for the first time.
18. Rode on an airboat for the first time.
19. Helped plant about 850 trees and 5000 plugs of grass.
20. Didn't get my dream job.
21. Went on a mission trip to Rhode Island, serving as the musician.
22. Went to quite a few major and minor league baseball games for the first time in many years.
23. Acquired a new basil plant, which has traveled from VA to NJ to NY to LA successfully, and is still growing.
    
24. Learned that NJ has a volcanic cone.
25. Had my nails painted for the first time since I was in middle school.
    
26. Celebrated the marriages of Jon and Janet, Matt and Robyn, and Lauren and Andy; was asked to be a bridesmaid for Hilary and Patrick and Amanda and Mike.
27. Promised to marry an awesome human being.
    

I laughed! I cried! I saw new places and learned new things!

Turning 28 also marks a solid decade of vegetarianism.

I know very little about what 28 will bring aside from lots of things having to do with Louisiana's wetlands and getting married, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. In the wise words of my favorite Katie Brendler Katie Katie Brendler, "GONNA. BE. GREAT."