Birthday Run and Foto Fun

Two weeks ago, to celebrate my 32nd birthday, I went for a 32 kilometer run.  I let myself sleep in just a little bit before heading out at 7:45am. 

It was foggy when I left the house, and I couldn't see to the end of the road, but it was warm.  I`d decided that I would think of as many memories as I could from each age as I clicked through the kms at a slow and steady pace.  It was a great run, and rolling through the memories was a good distraction, especially after my iPod died at the 13th km - just as I was remembering my Grade 8 teacher throw a stapler across the room, missing a head, and breaking a window. 

Here we go:

0-1
I obviously don`t remember anything from this age, but I can tell you this:  I was cute.  I`ve seen the pictures.  (I'd share if I had any, but they are all in storage).

1-2
No memories from here either, but I know I did what many babies do at their first birthday and put my hand in the cake.

2-3
I got nothin!

3-4

• One of my earliest memories is driving to visit my great-grandmother in Maine, and stopping at the Black Bear Inn.  I drew a picture for the waiter and he put it up behind the bar in the restaurant.  The next year, we stayed at the same place, and my picture was still hanging there. 
• Family trip to Disney World

4-5

• When we were back at the Black Bear Inn there was a woman with loooooooooooooooong hair like Chrystal Gayle.  I thought this was beautiful at the time.

Source

• I also remember that my Great-grandmother ordered off of the kids menu because she preferred smaller portions.  I thought this was awesome.
• At age 4, I started ballet, I was also in gymnastics and nursery school.  On the first day of Nursery School, my mom gave me a present:  Michael Jackson`s Thriller album.  It was my first tape.

Source

5-6

• I started kindergarten.  Amanda Adams and I stayed in at recess one morning and cut our own bangs.  I had bangs already and just turned them into more of a fringe.  Amanda had waist lenth hair and bangs to match, and was still growing them out when we were in the same class again in grade 5.  It's the first time I remember getting in trouble.  :S

6-7

• I read Little House in the Big Woods and was OBSESSED with Laura Ingalls Wilder.

7-8

• I remember, in vivid detail, an indepth conversation with my friend Veena Moser about reincarnation.  I had never heard of this concept, and yet she was certain that death meant a new beginning.  I remember asking my teacher, Mrs Stewart, to help us to get to the bottom of our disagreement.  She said that when she died, if she came back, she would come and let us know.

8-9

• Heidi and I were in the same class for the 3rd year in a row.  We were no longer allowed to sit together.  Though we were always in a school with multiple classes for each grade, we were in the same class from grade 1- grade 8, and had a permanent case of the giggles.  By the time we were in Grade 3, our parents were friends and we both got knee boards for our birthdays to be towed by behind the boat and started competing to see who could do the most 360s on a spin around the lake.  There are some pretty funny pictures of the two of us, but they are in Ontario, and I am in BC :(

9-10

• Family trip to Disney Land

10-11

• We had a boy in our class that misbehaved so badly and so often that at one point our teacher had to carry him, kicking and screaming, to the principal's office.  The last I heard, that guy had become a pilot for Air Canada.

11-12

• Family trip to Arizona and my first ride in a hot air balloon

12-13

• I was dancing competitively at this time, and our group qualified for a competition in Las Vegas.  30 girls and their moms made the trip!

13-14

• Family trip to Hawaii

14-15

• High School started and so did my friendship with a group of girls who will be my friends forever.  Here is a picture of all of us (plus a couple of others) at our friend Roxanne's wedding in 2009.

15-16

• I joined the cross country team (at least in part because of a cute boy).

16-17

• Learning to drive

17-18

• I spent the entire summer at my cottage, with my mom, working at the little bakery in town.

18-19

• I started working at a summer camp where I would work for the next 5 summers, and then again after returning from overseas, and again after returning from overseas (again).

19-20

• My first year at McMaster, and the start of another great friendship with Lizaroo!!  (Would you believe I don't have a single picture with my best friend that I like???)

20-21

• This was the year my mom died, and I don't have many happy memories.  Here's one of the last photos I have with my family.

21 -22

• Lizzaroo and I went to ate our way through Europe. 

22-23

• I graduated from university.  Lizzaroo and I spent 3 days driving for 2 days on the beach in a spontaneous road trip to Myrtle Beach.

23-24

• New Zealand! Lots of hiking, good friends and fun in the year spent at Teacher's College.

A little late for the tide crossing in Abel Tasman

24-25

• Australia!  More friends, more fun, and a lot of beer!

25-26

• After a brief return home, I was off again to China.  Here I am with my "Baby" Class:

At the language mill

26-27

• Travelling in China:

Minority group in SE China, celebrating a festival as I passed through.

and Vietnam...

Halong Bay

and Cambodia...

Former French Resort

and Laos

After a moto-mishap

and six months teaching in Thailand:

My Kindergarten Class at Melodies International Kindergarten in Bangkok

27-28

• This was the year my dad died, and I left soon after for India where I volunteered at a children's home for 3 months

Me with the "older boys" on a field trip to the museum

28-29

• I moved to BC and started working with youth.  Our staff team was known as the "Love Cluster" that year

• I met the BF and we road-tripped to the Yukon.

29-30 (I was getting close to home at this point, and decided to call it a day at 30K)

• I ran my first 1/2 marathon

We drove to Yellowknife, but couldn't go any further:

At 31, I ran my first marathon:

What will 32 bring?????