It is a big birthday for me this year. One that I thought I would be celebrating in Fiji even right up to a couple of months ago I held out hope that the borders would open and a travel bubble would happen. This is not to be. Now anyone who knows me in real life has had to endure my tantrums about this forever.

I think though I am at the end of the tantrums and going to just embrace that there will be no Fiji for the foreseeable future. Instead I am celebrating in a very different way, option B if you will. A night in the city with some dear friends, a party on my actual birthday with more dear friends and family.

Of course I know how lucky that we are to be living in Australia where we are living relatively normal life. I also appreciate that my birthday in 2021 not 2020 when we were in a lockdown in many places on and off for the whole year and many people didn’t get to celebrate at all. For that reason I have decided to kick the shit out of Option B.

On the eve of the second half of my life here are some thoughts about life that I have learnt.

• Surround yourself with people that love you just as you are – because trying to change to be who someone else wants you to be never ends well.
• If you can’t have Option A kick the shit out of Option B or C or D until you find the thing that works for you.
• Life is far too short to stay in a job you hate – you might have to do a lot of shitty jobs to find that one for you but keep looking it is out there.
• Know your worth and don’t settle for anything less; in life, in love, in work and most importantly in yourself.
• Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to your best friend.
• Make the most of every day you just never know what is around the corner.
• You might have to kiss a lot of frogs to find that prince or princess for you but it will be worth it when you find your person.
• Plans are great but if the last 12mths has taught me anything we need to embrace flexibility.
• Don’t save things for “good”, every day is a good day!
• No-one is responsible for your happiness except you. Don’t place your happiness in things, people, places if you are only happy when, when will never come.
• Life does not owe you anything.
• Good things do not happen to others because they are lucky or more special but because they worked hard ok and maybe sometimes there is a little bit of luck involved.
• Bad shit happens to good people and there is nothing you can do to change it.
• Wishing bad things to happen to others is like drinking poison and hoping someone else dies.

The last few years have been an interesting interlude but now is the time to start kicking some goals and changing it up. Throughout my life I have had lots of ups and downs and each one of those experiences has gotten me to here.

So today on my birthday eve I thank each and every person that has come into and out of my life for a short time or a long time. You have all left a piece of you with me and made me a better person for it.

To my family especially my husband and kids thank you for everything. Every day you inspire to me to keep going even when it is hard. Thank you for loving me at my worst so that I can be my best. To my Mum & Dad thank you for your guidance in life you are both incredible role models and I only hope that I can do the same for my kids. To all of my wonderful friends thank you for putting up with my incessant chatter and noise.

Happy Birthday to me, I look forward to many, many more and one day soon I hope that I will be #50inFiji instead of just #fabulousand50.