IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Not the most original title I know, but I'm excited, so there you go. Birthday's are a time of celebration; a time to reminisce on your life so far. Twenty-One years of me. The world is lucky.

I thought I would share with you today, my top five moments. The top moments of my life so far. The one's that spring to my head when someone asks me about the best things I have done, achieved and experienced. So, in celebration of me, and in no particular order, here they are:

#1 - Meeting Blink 182:

YUP. It happened. And the best thing about it was that it happened by accident. I went to the gig, as planned, which was amazing in itself. Our tickets got us in to the soundcheck before the show so there was about twenty of us viewing a very intimate set. Then, I got to go backstage for a meet and greet - because I was given the wrong wrist band! Mine was supposed to get me into just the soundcheck, but I was given a backstage pass as well. It was the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. On top of the fact that I then saw an amazing gig by a band that I never thought I would ever see live. AMAZING.

Blink 182 ft me. Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, 2017

Yes, I'm aware I look incredibly awkward but it's because I was next to famous people. And yes, I am still that short. Still, one of the best moments of my life so I couldn't care in the slightest!

#2 - Watching My Sisters Grow Up:

Okay, a bit of a cheat because I can't pin point this down to a single moment. Watching them grow up encases a whole bunch of moments that make my top list. Even the grossly comical ones; changing stonking nappies for the first time, or the time when one of them threw up on my head. Mm hmm. That makes my top list for sure. I was giving her a shoulder carry in the middle of a national park while mum was on the phone. Then blehk. It's the little things that they both say and do, as well as recognising our similarities and differences as individuals. Seeing the kinds of people they are growing into. Even last night, they both squished up with me to watch The Labyrinth and I felt so much love.

#3 - New Year's in China:

Okay, so it kind of goes without saying that my trip to Hong Kong a few years ago was one of the biggest highlights of my life. Never, ever would I have thought I'd be so lucky to have the opportunity to stay in Hong Kong. But, out of the whole two weeks I spent there, which involved a huge list of amazing things that I can't even describe, one of the absolute highlights and biggest moments of my life so far, was the countdown to the New Year. It had been an incredible day already, spent on Shek O beach in 31 degree heat, in the bluest of seas, on the last day of December. It was after a restaurant manager moved the tables so we could all dance, that I went to see the biggest firework display over the skyline of Hong Kong. It was beautiful, and a moment I will never forget.

#4 - Getting My Third Tattoo:

It sounds strange, but getting my third tattoo (the one my mum has only just found out about, sorry mum!) was a real stand-out moment for me. The other two do as well of course, as my first ever tattoo in my university town, and the one I got with my dad. My third though, was one of the biggest examples I have of a time I truly lived in the moment. It was a spontaneous decision, on the back of a few rubbish days; tensions running high, something momentous needed to happen. Now of course, I'm not suggesting that we all go and get tattoos every time we have a bad day, however, getting this one really meant something to me. Whilst the design itself may have no significance, it was that moment that I will always hold on to. The needle was buzzing, the pain was easing and I was surprisingly relaxed. Of course, there was the realisation of 'this is going to be on me for the rest of my life,' but I didn't mind. I was exited. That was one of the clearest times I've ever truly lived in the now.

#5 - The Old Lady on the Bus:

Oh yes, how could I list my most philosophical, valuable, appreciated moments without crediting the Old Lady on the bus? I was heading to town one day, to work maybe, or to meet a friend, and I took a seat next to this woman. She was elderly, and friendly, and started chatting to me about her life. She told me how she became a stage performer, because she'd gone to a friend's house for dinner and her friend's partner was on his way to an audition. She and her friend had joked about going along and auditioning for a laugh, and it turns out the Old Lady was rather good. She spent the rest of her years dancing and performing and whatever else. It was wonderful to hear so much about a complete stranger's life. Before we got to the final stop, she turned and said to me that she had some advice. She said to me, 'in life, row your own boat', then she got off the bus and walked away, without saying goodbye. It was quite beautiful.

Now, of course, throughout my entire life so far, there are so many more moments that I share great sentiment with. So many people that have made my top moments happen. I could not condense twenty-one year's worth of wonderful moments into a five-minute read, but I have given you these five as the moment's I feel most connected to today.

The moments that feel most profound and meaningful at this point in my life.

The moments I will always remember.

And many more.