60 Things For My 60th Year.
*I have made 2 book recommendations in this blog post where I may receive a small commission.
For my 60th birthday this year, rather than head to a big one and done party, I am having micro gatherings to celebrate. Being the type of person who thrives in creativity, I came up with the idea of 60 things for my 60th year. 60 THINGS. They don’t have to cost money or take extravagant amounts of planning or time. Just small different mini adventures to awaken something, anything.
I have accomplished quite a few already. My idea is to keep at it for this next year, being deliberate about what I dive into, what I explore, what I enjoy more of.
This birthday of sixty is also a reflecting birthday. So much has happened in this decade. Besides breast cancer, loss of my grandparents, political cycles, there was also 2020 and the loss of one of my locations.
It is hard to believe that this birthday weekend is the same exact weekend five years ago where the world shut down and yet I am still here- standing.
This is cause for additional celebration. Any business that made it though that wacky time wears an invisible badge of miraculous honor.
I am taking this week before my actual birthday off. Not to go anywhere, but to go here- in my home, my town, to be with people I love and enjoy spending time with. There is a deliberateness about this vacation that is different from other places I have traveled away to. I am coming home to myself.
LEARNING SOMETHING NEW
My birthday falls on March 15th, the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was killed. I did a deep dive into the IDES OF MARCH and learned some interesting facts beyond what everyone already knows. I used this as an excuse to get back to some writing and wrote about it in this blog here.
SEEING A MOVIE AT 10:15 IN THE MORNING
Besides writing, my partner and I love going to the movies. We watch a lot of movies at home, but to go to the actual movie theater is something we have missed since movie theaters never seemed to fully recover from 2020.
When we learned about a new movie out called, Becoming Led Zeppelin, we found a 10:15am showing. I love an early movie and Led Zeppelin is my favorite band so it made for a perfect date. We finished with a nice lunch out and a walk. It was lovely.
SAUNA EXPERIENCES
I also really enjoy saunas and made an appointment for a private sauna at Sanctuary on Wood St followed by a stop at the library on the way home, where I perused some books - all within walking distance of my house. It was a great day.
When I learned about the Altaer Sauna experience on the beach in Little Compton, I promptly made a reservation and invited five women to join me for a freezing cold dip (water temp-34 degrees freezing) in the ocean with the hot sauna waiting patiently offering stellar views of the beach. We headed over to Groundswell after for some warm tea, a perfect way to end a lovely afternoon.
I will be trying out Urban Sweat this weekend for a multi sensory sauna experience. I am looking forward to a day to myself with sauna time, lunch at a place I have been eager to try and then finishing off with some shopping time, old school, in Garden City. Haven't done a day like this in a really long time.
BEING A TOURIST IN MY OWN TOWN WITH FRIENDS
I brought another group of friends together for a private shopping experience at a favorite local store, Beau Bleu in Bristol, followed by a private tour of Blithewold. The day was complete when my son and his girlfriend were able to join us for lunch made by an old friend and chef, the one and only Joe Simone.
MAKING TIME WITH FRIENDS AND BEING A TOURIST IN MY OWN STATE
Hearing about a tea place in Wickford called Sweet Marie’s Tea, several friends and I made our way for an old fashioned tea and lunch and it did not disappoint. Well worth the reservations. Loved this experience.
Though a dentist appointment may not seem like it should fall into the 60 things category, I had my teeth cleaned. A great appointment as I approach my 60th year and made the appointment into a mini shopping day in Warren, the excuse to head to Prica Farina for some homemade pasta and ending with a stop at Inkfish Books where Lisa’s recommendations never disappoint.
Made a date day with a good friend to have a picnic and a long walk in Jamestown and it was a lovely way to spend a random Tuesday mid week. We stopped in the Portsmouth location on East Main Rd to pick up some Italian picnic foods at one of my favorite places, Bottega Bocconi.
FINDING NEW BOOKS ABOUT INTERESTING WOMEN
One book I just started is called, Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki and I am only thirty pages in and look forward to finishing it this week. I came across an essay by Megan Marshall (and she certainly had her opinions on historical fiction) who wrote a thorough biography on Margaret Fuller, A New American Life in this past week’s NYT book review. This made me head to one of my most treasured places to hide out for a few hours, The Redwood Library to promptly check it out.
GETTING SOME TREATMENTS
I had a Thai Massage with Susie (who also happens to be my former sister in law) at Gracie Love on Bradford St. Speaking of Gracie Love, I also indulged in an incredible Thai Reflexology experience that made my feet jump for joy. Susie offers so many relaxing experiences. I scheduled a private yoga class with my partner that literally did us both in (in a good way) for the rest of the day.
Of course, I can't imagine my 60 things without one of my own services, the famous and award winning, Best Facial paired with a relaxing back treatment. Its high level reminded me how lucky I am that I get to call Alayne White not only my name, but my business that supports me in a way where I get to enjoy these life experiences.
EXPLORING THE WORLD THROUGH NEW RECIPES
I tried making a brand new recipe that took several days by the time I was through. It was a famous danish from Denmark called Tebirkes, poppy seed danish filled with homemade marzipan. The quantity of butter alone was enough to block your arteries but I really enjoyed the challenge of a more complicated pastry.
Also celebrating Purim by making Hamantaschen using fellow Rhode Islander and bestselling cookbook author, Joan Nathan's recipe.
WRITING THANK YOU NOTES
I sent some letters in the actual mail. Real handwritten notes and it felt so great to place a stamp on a note and send it along to someone I love.
GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
What else? I went to NYC this past weekend and did the touristy thing of walking the Brooklyn Bridge, something I always wanted to do. We found a delicious Israeli restaurant in SoHo called 12 Chairs, had a wonderful meal at a hole in the wall called Jackson Hole where they had working jukeboxes at every table that made me smile.
I went with my partner and another couple to see Adam Lambert as MC in Cabaret at the Kit Cat Club at the August Wilson Theater, matinee, (because there is no way I can stay up to see an 8:00 show) only to discover that Adam Lambert was not performing due to some last minute call out. Disappointing, but in the whole spectrum of the wild world we are in right now, it was still OK. The back up team was wonderful and it was risqué and refreshing.
ELIMINATING TECHNOLOGY
The biggest thing of my 60 things so far though didn’t involve “doing” something, but rather eliminating something.
I chose not to take my phone with me to NYC.
No pictures of food, no let me take a picture of that, or checking my work texts, emails, or phone calls. No needing a charger or even taking a purse because I deliberately went without a phone, I didn’t need a place to carry one.
What was most surprising was that I found myself in the total present. My partner and friends had their phones so I didn’t need it for emergencies or navigation. I must say it was a brain changer for me. A BRAIN CHANGER. I also made a point of not asking them every two minutes to use their phone to take a picture or send a message. No phone use at all.
I didn’t realize how distracted I have become. Between scrolling, checking, looking, clicking on links, shopping, ordering, and repeating all of this, the amount of time is astounding.
Now that I got a taste of living tech free for three whole days, I am using my own navigation system to find a way back to a life of living with ways to create better boundaries with these tech distractions and contraptions.
When I realized how present I found myself, the subtle anxieties caused by the frazzling of my brain and my perpetually distracted inner compass seemed to dissipate.
My usual sugar cravings disappeared and I barely noticed. I realize now that my non- stop sugar cravings are more likely caused by a simmering stress from being perpetually taken out of living in the moment. When I am not in creative mode, but instead moving from one email or one text to the next. Food is my literal filler, and sugar has been my go to replacement product when anxiety and stress become such a part of my insides, I barely notice.
I know myself well enough that I won’t make any hard and fast judgment based rules and regs, but I also know that the sweetest spot is that feeling I had this past weekend with no technology in my life.
Upon returning, I have continued on this vacation with turning off my phone and leaving it at home when go to my partner's house overnight, trying to only check it once a day for a specific amount of time, 12-2. The amount of personal space and time that has availed itself to me will be written about later, but so far, I have enjoyed the outcome,
I can breathe again. I have settled into my self and recalled what that feels like.
This may be the greatest 60th birthday present I can give myself.
