26 Things Before 27

Yesterday was my 27th birthday. (Yay me!) I had a fantastic, wonderful weekend that started with a surprise party on Friday, continued celebrations on Saturday, and a nice dinner with family on Sunday.

I wasn't exactly excited about entering my late 20s, so it was great to have the best birthday ever! (By the way, "60 Minutes" was on in the background last night, and Andy Rooney stated that no one wants/needs to count their birthdays after 25. What do you know, Andy?)

Let's take a look back on 26 memorable experiences, accomplishments, and general highlights of the year before I turned 27, shall we?

1. Celebrated a Canadian St. Patty's Day

2. Devoured poutine in Toronto

3. Had foie gras at Toque! in Montreal

4. Attended Easter Mass at Notre-Dame Basilica

5. Climbed into a shopping cart for some engagement photos

6. Partied like a bachelorette rockstar in Las Vegas

7. Bought a condo

8. Navigated the mortgage closing process and survived

9. Planned and paid for a wedding and survived

10. Got married

11. Celebrated

12. Honeymooned in Costa Rica

13. Had an adventurous road trip

(A tractor totally got stuck on this rickety, one-way bridge for over an hour on our way back)

14. Got my appetite back (too nervous to eat in the months before the wedding!)

15. Relaxed

16. Refrained from alimentaring los monos in Manuel Antonio

17. Ziplined through the rainforest

18. Soaked in the Tabacon Hot Springs, heated to an extremely hot temp by the Arenal Volcano

19. Danced as newlyweds at two weddings

20. Took a bite out of the Big Apple

21. Swam with some swans in Birmingham

22. Voted for a president that actually won

23.Froze my booty off in Boston

24. Tried ossobucco as my last meal of 2008

25. Rang in 2009 running down the beach with a sparkler in my hand, watching fireworks, and feeling a burst of pure joy

26. Had a surprise party given in my honor!

I ran out of numbers! So many great things happened to me last year, and I'm so blessed to have great people in my life to share these experiences.

Coming soon...27 things before 28!