What's your sign?

You know what I love? A good birthday tradition. Maybe you have your cake at the exact moment you were born (and it's always the same cake right?) or you go to the same restaurant to celebrate. Maybe you like adventure on your b-day so maybe a scavenger hunt or an extreme sport of some kind. Or like Rory on Gilmore Girls, your mom wakes you up at an ungodly hour and tells the story of your birth in a particularly dramatic fashion (with flashbacks of course). Whatever the tradition, having a personal way to celebrate your day is the right way to go.

I have two traditions that I particularly enjoy:

1. Taking the day off and going to see a movie. Watching a matinee on a workday seems decadent, like staying in your pjs all day. And popcorn and Twizzlers are involved - win.
2. I cut out my horoscope on my birthday, tape it to the fridge for the whole year, and then reflect on it on my next birthday. 

I'm not entirely sure when I started this second tradition. If I look back through my journals, it seems like it was after college and after I moved back to Louisiana in 2002. This would also be around the time I started living in my own apartment rather than having roommates so it makes sense. I always tape the previous year's horoscope in my journal and take a few minutes to reflect on whether or not it was even remotely accurate. Who doesn't enjoy reading their horoscope once a year? People who don't like fun - that's who.

I am a Gemini, an air sign that is considered a thinking person's sign. In general, Geminis are imaginative, witty, adaptable, and talkers. They're fiercely independent and make excellent storytellers. Oh, and we're never boring (that's one of my favorite descriptors). They're also a little flighty and indecisive (dual nature and all). I think these things all describe me pretty well although I think it's interesting that Geminis are most often considered extroverts but I'm not. I identify more with the more classic personality traits associated with introverts when it comes to social interactions and my thought process. I guess the contradictions all make sense in a big picture kind of way.

This was my horoscope last year, compliments of the San Francisco Chronicle. Change was definitely a big part of this last year for me. I moved back to Virginia to a new apartment and neighborhood. I took on a new role at work that is, well, steeped in change and being adaptable. I've made some specific life changes in my quest to be the leading lady of my own life. New friends and social situations have been a hallmark of my move back. I'm trying (and apparently succeeding) in calming the Type A/planner part of me when needed. This is something I never thought I be able to do.

Did adventurous Jupiter bring me more change than I can handle? That's really the important part of this horoscope. I'm torn on the answer. While many great things have happened this year and have been totally manageable, I've also experienced a lot of frustration along the way. Change isn't easy (it's not supposed to be) and being an adaptable person doesn't always mean that you won't feel frustrated and angry and just over it. I've had these feelings a lot this year. I'm hopeful that it's all leveling out now and I can shift my focus onto more positive things. I joke about suffering from ennui but I'm only sort of joking. One of my friends recently asked if ennui was a marketable skill - probably only if you're a cat with its own YouTube channel.

Of course, who knows what this next year will bring? This year's horoscope could be the predictor of all sorts of amazing things. It's place on my fridge is one of honor, between an Elvis postcard and my Spike magnet. The King and a vampire - right where a horoscope belongs.

Happy Birthday to all you Geminis out there and a special Happy, Happy Birthday to all the June 11 babies - it's amazing how much awesomeness can be brought into the world on one day!