The Most Forgotten Milestone: Why Your Half-Birthday is Worth Celebrating

There are a few token birthdays most of us will always remember. They include but are not limited to: the super Sweet Sixteen, the once-in-a-lifetime 21st (if you reside in the U.S., anyway) and the leap "over the hill" when one hits the big 4-0. Ones very first birthday is always ridiculously over-hyped by oogling relatives and deserving mothers.  A famous animated Disney nutcase even showed us that there is little harm in celebrating ones "un-birthday" if he or she feels so inclined. 

But what about the HALF-birthday? Why is it so often overlooked?

Now I realize that I may not be representative of the typical age-turner. My friends know me as someone who not only loves to celebrate my birthday; I have a tendency to drag it out into a multi-weekend series of celebrations and getaways, not to mention the mandatory family birthday dinner plus mid-week happy hours for every single one of my circles of friends. 

No, it's not because I love another excuse to celebrate - and no, it's not just because I have a depressing mid-winter birthday and am keen on finally throwing myself a pool party so that all the cool kids will come. I love and anxiously await my half-birthday each year because there is no better excuse to stop, reflect, consider where I am in my life, and decide whether or not I'm proud of the path down which I am headed.

I am certain that this idea is not a crazy one, for society as we know it seems to value half-way points as times for reflection. Our companies often insist upon delivering mid-year performance reviews. Our schools - from kindergarten on! - always deliver semester report cards. 

Heck, even Bon Jovi thought we all deserved to celebrate the milestone that is 0.5 when he sang his famous tune and exclaimed: Ohhh - we're halfway the-ere...!

This process seems natural and obvious when I consider: how else could professionals or academics check their progress and course-correct? And in our personal lives, why don't we do the same?!

It is irrefutable that we all have differing values, and various things of importance that we may deem as markers of good (or poor) progress. However, some of these things - these questions - are those we want to check in on and ask ourselves about. Around my half-birthday each year, I find myself asking: "How do I feel about Age __? Do I feel good about where I am so far?" 

This past month happened to mark my "halfway" milestone along the journey that has been Age 25. I'm hoping that this means that my quarter life crisis is about midway over. As I stepped back to consider the changes I've made and the feats that I achieved in this year alone, I was astounded. What made this year's reflection even more impactful, perhaps, might be that in the case of this pivotal age - smack dab in the middle of my twenties - I had chosen to made a bucket list of sorts upon turning 25 this past February. I entitled it "25 @ Age 25." Some of the items that made the list are touched upon below.

*Sidebar: Maybe you are someone who didn't set out to achieve a particular personal/professional goal this year. Regardless, when isn't it relevant to ask whether we feel proud of where we are? I have found that it's okay for there to be times at which I'm not. Everything happens, happened and will happen for a reason; everything that has occurred over the past 25 and 1/2 years of mine has led me to this point. Checking in on those happenings, however, helps us to feel - in the same moment - senses of urgency, self-awareness and, often, satisfaction.

2. Wine taste in Napa. 

3. Rent a car - with no fees!

7. Visit (Apple) headquarters in Cupertino. 

8. Make a career step; be it lateral, upward or somewhere unexpected! 

9. Move [back] into my own place.

12. Go to a city I've never visited.

13. Go to a ballpark at which I've never seen a game!

14. Do volunteer work.

19. See a concert (of someone I've never seen live).

21. Run a 10K! 

22. Complete an even-longer fitness event, such as a half-marathon! 

In the first half of my big year, I achieved the first three listed above all during my birthday weekend (in one of the most enticing tastes of Northern California I received before making my big move). Come June, nearly three months ago, I left the friendly giant that is Apple, Inc. - something I barely deemed possible in the moment I was turning 25. I moved "away from home" in Newbury Park -- of which no one had to convince me -- but also moved out of my home region of Southern California and completed that symbolic drive up CA-101. I became a Northern California resident. I actually landed an apartment in San Francisco - and with a porch! - in under 60 days. Work took me to Chicago for the first time, where I watched my first Cubs game at Wrigley Field.  Then, SF led me to attend my first Beyoncé concert! Finally, I ran my first 10K in Los Angeles and then registered and began training for my first half marathon... which will take place back in SoCal by the beach (for old time's sake).

Don't have a cheesy, somewhat unrealistic and yet entirely optimistic numbered list - like I do? Consider the questions: 

What's important to me? Am I prioritizing those things?

Experiencing new things and figuring out what type of person and professional I want to be are of utmost importance to me - while in the meantime spending as much quality time with my family and closest confidantes as I can. This is so they can serve as my sounding boards and meanwhile, know that I love them; I've been lucky enough to balance these between exploring my new city, making return trips and leveraging FaceTime.

Is my family top-of-mind? Am I making time for them?

Living more than an hour from my parents and two beloved sisters for the first time means that I have a new level of dedication to calling and/or texting them regularly; we have even mastered an entertaining group thread going via iMessage now that my parents have iPads. The holidays as well as mandatory getaways, such as my youngest sister's 21st [not half- but real] birthday trip to Vegas, will help ensure that I am prioritizing them

How is my health? 

I am currently getting caught up on some of the basic types of care which were neglected in the midst of moving cities, changing my routine, et cetera. I am running routinely and I found a new dentist, but I still need to perfect the good habits that put me at my best, such as yoga and grocery shopping. 

Am I happy in my work?

I absolutely love the constant state of learning induced by a new work environment; and to say that I am in one is an understatement. I am gaining understanding of a new industry while still leveraging communication and technology. Additionally, I am ecstatic to be a part of a company whose mission includes the key verb that dictates my personal passion: connecting - people, opportunities, communities, and resources (to name a few). 

Do I love where I live? Am I thriving in my surroundings?

Finally, I now reside in a city that offers the stimulation to learn and thrive economically while also granting the freedom to roam and explore. I am car-less and free of traffic; I am in a new and adorably quaint apartment with my awesome cat Simba and a generous roommate with whom I can enjoy it. I am officially addicted to San Francisco. 

---

My half-birthday happened to fall at a great and memorable turning point for me this year. Don't be shy to grab a hold of your half-birthday, mark it on your calendar and give yourself a reason to celebrate. You deserve it.