Oh hello, 28! You know how on some birthdays, you just know it’s going to be a great year?
(Well, to be honest, that’s most years for me…eternal optimist, I suppose.)
But 28 is REALLY one of those years—in fact, I had been looking forward to my birthday for the whole month leading up to it. Not because I had any big, special celebration planned, but because I truly believe in my heart that this year is going to bring some big changes and personal growth.
At the risk of scaring away some of my readers with my more woo-woo beliefs, this year will mark the start of my Saturn Return.
“The first Saturn Return, which can happen between ages 27 and 30, is a bit like a cosmic bar mitzvah, quinceanera or communion if you will: a rite of passage welcoming you into your more mature role here on Earth…During the Saturn return—which lasts 2.5 to 3 years—you will come face to face with your own blocks and be forced to push through them. All the “mistakes” you made in the nearly three decades leading up to this seem to crystallize. Rather than repeating them on autopilot, you have a chance to turn lemons into lemonade.”
Sounds pretty intriguing, eh? My Saturn is in Aquarius, meaning my Saturn Return will take place from March 23, 2020 to March 17, 2023…and I am here for it. (If you’re curious about your Saturn Return, you can find your dates here.)
For the record, I truly don’t put too much faith in astrology; it’s not gospel, and I don’t believe anything about my life is written in stone simply because of how the planets were aligned when I was born.
Mostly, I view astrology as yet another lens through which I can look at my life, and gain some practical advice that can be applied to various situations.
Whether you believe in astrology or not, you can’t deny that this sounds like an important transition for every person to go through in the years leading up to 30:
“The Saturn return brings with it the pressure of time, and often the first awareness of your own mortality. You take stock of what it would take to achieve those big dreams, and often a sense of dread at ever getting there. But happily, it’s a time when things like discipline, focus, and clear-sight come in to give you a kind of pragmatic hope. You’ll figure out what’s still possible, and make the changes necessary to get on track.”
All that to say, I was eager to ring in my 28th year of life, and I chose to do so in the best way I could think of: with my husband and dog, in a tiny cabin on a remote stretch of the Northern California coast, surrounded by redwood trees, with no WiFi, and a bottle of excellent red wine.
Nestled along the southern edge of Mendocino County, just north of the Sonoma County border, is a small unincorporated village called Gualala.
There isn’t much to see or do in Gualala; with just 2,000 local residents, it mostly serves as a peaceful retreat for tourists…making it the ideal spot to kick back and relax. Perfection.
Our 3.5-hour drive along the coast from San Jose was as breathtaking as could be. We drove through dense patches of redwood forest, only to pop out near a jagged shoreline and realize we had been just mile or two from the ocean all that time.
The towns and villages that dot this stretch of NorCal coast are sleepy and overflowing with charm, each boasting their own waterfront seafood joint, ice cream or salt water taffy shop, and historic inn.
Our tiny cabin was located just a half mile off the coastal highway, but was tucked away in hilly redwood grove, creating the illusion that we were isolated in the middle of a forest. Even though I could feel the dampness of the sea in the air, I still couldn’t believe the ocean was so close.
We checked into our cabin around 3:00pm, and immediately began easing into relaxation mode.
Electronic devices? Off.
Wine? Poured.
Wood Burning Stove? Crackling.
…er, with a bit of difficulty on that last one, as the kindling that was supposed to be all set up in the fireplace upon our arrival was in fact not provided at all.
But Derek made do with a few crumpled up pieces of a Whole Foods bag, and a short while later we were both seated in front of a roaring fire with a glass each of California red wine. Ahhh.
The rest of the night followed the same tune: we snacked on some brie and crackers, Derek made a homemade pizza for dinner, and we soaked in the hot tub on the deck after the stars came out. I couldn’t believe how dark it was out there; I could barely make out the giant redwood trees just a foot away from our deck.
Our moonlit soak was cut short, however, when our dog decided he was not okay with being excluded, and cannonballed into hot tub. I’m not sure what he was expecting to happen, but ending up fully submerged with jets roaring all around him was most certainly not it.
He was drenched and terrified, there was hot tub water in the wine glasses, and we were close to tears from laughing so hard. Alas, it was time for pajamas, an audiobook, and bed.
After sleeping in the next morning, Derek cooked up a delicious egg scramble for breakfast, and prepared some French press coffee. We enjoyed a final few moments in our little cabin, gazing up at the redwoods around the deck, before loading up the car and beginning the drive back to the Bay Area.
Yes indeed, 28 is off to an amazing start.
How did you spend your last birthday? What would your perfect birthday weekend look like?
Mariska says
Seems like a great place to spend your birthday! I’ve never heards about Saturn Returns yet, but it sounds interesting!
Kelly | The Wandering Blonde says
It’s a little “out there,” but definitely an interesting subject to learn about!