Okay, so my birthday is coming up somewhat soon (August), and even though it's only June, it's already crossed my mind because Chris and I are going to Hawaii for my birthday (yay!). He paid for the whole thing (I truly have the best guy in the world. Do not argue.) as a birthday present for me. I've been *trying* to slim down and such, like cutting calories, but I'm not too concerned with it.

Somewhat.

What has just stuck me as of now is that I'm turning older. And I mean significantly, like I'm not a teenager/partying/clubbing/drinking youth anymore. I'm turning into a full-fledged adult. Doing those were okay in the early twenties, but people have to outgrow it at some point. I know I may still be a little bit immature, and part of me still wants to keep clinging to my youth. But you eventually get to a point where your opinions change, your viewpoints are a complete 180 from how it was only a few years back, you don't hang out with the peers you used to have. Your idea of fun has changed. The thought of being socially accepted all the time doesn't sound as appealing as it used to be. Like, you're being more independent and other people's opinions don't matter as much anymore.

I'm getting somewhat a quarter life crisis.

I was talking about it with Chris last week. I was a storm of emotions that time and I poured it all out on my poor little boyfriend. He listened to me though (my man pays for a vacations and he listens. Top that.) and he said that he also went through some of those things when he turned the same age (he's a couple years older than me). It was a little comforting, although I knew my words didn't do justice to what was brewing inside of me, it felt good to let some of it out.

Although I will bore you some other time of what has changed in me, there are some things that I want to do in this upcoming year of mine. And one of them is to fill up my passport. It's always been a dream of mine to travel and sample this library of wonders that is the Earth. I always feel like if I don't travel or get out of the confines of my room, even my city, I feel like I just stood outside the biggest, most prestigious library without bothering to go in and open at least one book.

And when I speak of travel, I don't want to do your cookie cutter tours around Paris, London, USA, China, Hong Kong... I want to go to places where the typical tourist wouldn't think to set foot on.

I want to go to Kathmandu. I want to camp at the foot of Mt. Everest.

I want to go to the Andes. To Machu Pichu. Bolivia. Peru. The Amazon. Patagonia.

I've always wanted to be different. Where I set my foot and where I want my passport stamped is one no exception.

I was talking about an Everest Exploration with Chris through G Adventures. I begged him to go, and initially he thought we were going to hike to the top of the damned mountain. I told him I wasn't that crazy yet. I said the itinerary was just to the base of the mountain. Then he agreed.

There are so many tour packages on G Adventures that I want to try. This may just be what I want to do this upcoming year. I have to start saving some money now.