Next month marks the beginning of my half century year.  While some women avoid admitting to such milestone in age, I have decided to embrace my 50th year and enjoy it wholeheartedly. So, I am embarking on a yearlong adventure I am calling 50 Fabulous Feats @ 50 in which I will prove that you can teach a middle-aged dog new tricks by engaging in a series of “firsts” for me.

Each week I will pick a person, place, or thing that is new to me and expand my world just a little by meeting, visiting, or doing something that I’ve never done before.  Each week I plan to blog about my experiences, thoughts, and learnings. Before you get too excited, however, you need to understand a couple of things about me. I have spent much of my life as a scaredy cat: I live with anxiety, am frightened of heights, and have lived a rather safe, risk-averse life. As a result, some of my firsts may be laughable to “normal” folks. I have never ridden on a motorcycle, gone horseback riding, or eaten escargot. I also want to explore both my inner and outer world so one week I may go up in a hot air ballon, while the next I could go on a spiritual retreat. Finally, I want to give back to the world that has given me so much love, support, and beauty; I plan to engage in activities with meaning and purpose to express my gratitude for all the prosperity in my life through such things as donating blood, planting trees, and working for charitable causes. While these “feats” may seem mundane to some, they will be “fabulous” to me.

I hope you will join me on my journey vicariously and, perhaps in some cases, in person if you think you might like to participate in a feat that resonates with you, too. I will post my ideas for activities shortly, and I would love to receive any ideas you might have to add to the list. I’m excited about my year of firsts and can’t wait to hit the big 5-0 to start!