My Magical Summer of Wonder

It’s a chilly late summer evening, and during my run tonight I feel Fall in the air. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing one of the best seasons I’ve had in years – my magical summer of wonder (MSOW) –is coming to a close. I wish I could take the MSOW, ball the whole thing up and keep it in my pocket for the winters ahead. The memories I’ve made and experiences I’ve had this summer are sure to be nourishment for the long, tough journeys I’ll one day face. But for now, I’m free to revel in the delight of fleeting golden evenings, enjoy the last days of flip-flopped toes and spend cool nights with windows wide open.

MSOW was expensive, true, but it was also a celebration of who I’ve become and what I’ve accomplished during the past 10. As you know, I ran a triathlon, quit my job and found a new one and celebrated my 30th birthday with 50 of my closest friends in my parents’ backyard. I also traveled to Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Colorado, kayaked a whitewater river, biked down a mountain, dressed like a banana, saw my favorite band live, bought a computer and a new microwave, invested in a new wardrobe and spent tons of time with my family… and I did it all without collecting any debt.

Times are tough, yes, but what I thought would be a summer filled with uncertainty due to the economy turned into one of joy. (Two weeks off and a dream job will do that for you.) It was unexpected. It was delightful. And here I am now, watching that fabulous MSOW pack up and drive away as I stand on the curb waving wistfully.
So what will I take from this MSOW? What lessons have I learned?


1. Be open to new experiences. If there is one theme to this summer, it’s to be unafraid. Even if your body is shaking and your limbs are paralyzed at the starting line of a race. Even if you feel glued to your office chair, the same one you’ve sat in for 10 years. Even if you think there’s no way you can do it. Just try. Step out of your comfort zone. You’ll never know what will happen unless you take the first step. Open yourself to the possibilities.

2. Celebrate the small things. Turning 30? Throw a party. Turning 31? Get your friends together. Life is too short to wait for something huge to happen, so take advantage of the time you have together and celebrate each other. I know that this year of 30th birthday parties for me and all my girlfriends was a gift, and that one day we may be gathering for not-so-happy times. So while things are happy, get together, turn on the music, drink some wine and dress like fruit (or whatever makes you happy). The memories will last a lifetime.

3. Make the tough choices. I still don’t have a house. But that was the right decision for me. If I would have spent money on a downpayment when my lease was up, I would have no savings at all (we’re talking zero) if I would have lost my job. And at an agency, even at the one I was with for eight years, business is always cyclical. Translation: Losing everything was a possibility. So I held off on buying. It wasn’t an easy decision, but by the time my lease is up in April, I’ll be in a much more secure position: I’ll have a stable job and more savings.

4. Spend thoughtfully when you have to. We needed lots of new appliances this summer - computer, router, microwave, house fan. Our old ones were on their last legs, all working about ten percent of the time and the rest just causing headaches. So we had to spend some. But we bought on sale, and we bought with a card that gave us points and we paid off in the same month we bought. That’s how to spend smart.

Did you have an MSOW? What lessons did you learn this summer? Anything you’d like to share?