Forty Nine With Ease

Embracing the journey to 50 and beyond

This Sunday I turn 49 years young

All I wish for is a lazy lie in… ALONE - it’s a Sunday after all; a decent cup of coffee, hazelnut spread on toast, my journal and a pile of books. Yup that would be my ideal start to my 49th birthday, because this year it’s going to be my COOLEST year ever - who needs 50 for an excuse to celebrate when you have 49?!

Phew, I’m glad I’ve managed to plan my ‘birthday in bed’ activities.

More interestingly, is that I’ve had an epiphany this morning.

I plan to document every single day of my 49th year here on Substack, because why the hell not. To be honest, I needed accountability to write more often on here. I have been so slack. I got lost in the Substack soup. Imposter syndrome reared its ugly head and I just had writer’s numbness, far more severe than writer’s block, but that’s another story!!

Whilst I was walking the ridgebacks earlier, I was thinking about how the 50th year always dominates the headlines. How everyone jumps for joy when it’s someones 21st or 40th or 50th, but what about your 20th or 39th or 49th year?? That’s just as important a year to celebrate. Which made me think I refuse to let the looming big 5-0 overshadow the incredible and sometimes mundane experiences that await me in the present day.

This is a BIG deal for me.

49 is really close to 50…

But I don’t want to be thinking what will happen when I turn 50, will I be satisfied with what I have, where will I live, what will I do, blah blah blah. Enough already.

Today I am still in my 48th year, lots has happened and thank god I journaled every day, as now I have a recording of my sometimes loopy but magical existence. Brain fog can actually go and do one. it’s quite exhausting losing your memory, anyone else agree with me on this?

49 needs to be celebrated.

BIG TIME!

Not only because my 4th decade was unbelievable on so many levels, but I actually made it through. I survived. I managed to get through each day, all 10 years of my 40’s without too much hassle. Isn’t it funny how we take this little old thing called ‘LIFE’ for granted.

Turning 49 has already made a difference to my life and I haven’t even arrived there yet - bare with me, I do write some crazy shit after 3 cups of coffee! In a nut shell I’m excited to document all the comings and goings of my 49th year.

No doubt there will be some boring updates. But I’ll journal more about those as I always do every single day, but writing more publicly about the highs and lows of living my 49th year should be quite an interesting project.

Anyway, my point is, I’ve made a promise to myself that as of Sunday the 20th August, I am going to write every day on Substack. The good, the bad and the down right ugly tales for 365 days of my 49th year - all being well of course. Some days might be just a word and an image or a quote. That is how I roll.

So, HELLO to all the forty-niners here on Substack, I hope you’re in a good place today, both mentally and physically. I dearly hope that life in the ‘Forty Nine Club’ is treating you well so far and I’m looking forward to joining you.

I’d love to connect with you if you’re about to turn 49 or you’re well into your 49th year, how cool would it be if all the 49’ers connected here on Substack?!!

Even if there are just a small group of us, I’d love to know what you have planned for your 49th year. Maybe you haven’t even given it a thought, but maybe now you are thinking, hell yeah 49 is a cool age and I’m going to embrace it.

You might be dreading turning 50, so you’re hoping this year will go real SLOOOOOOWWWW or perhaps you’re racing towards your 50th, well, once you’ve found your damn glasses to see where you’re actually heading.

Don’t get me started on all the midlife ailments, my eyesight is deteriorating like nobody’s business and it scares me. So I’ll be writing lots about that. How I never take my eyesight for granted but how utterly pissed off I get about the fact I have to clean my glasses every 3 minutes. Oh be warned, there will be plenty of ‘rage on a page’ and you’re very welcome to join me and share your midlife rage.

Ok, so that’s the plan, write every day for 365 days about what it’s like to be 49 years young - eek!

Hopefully I’ll get to know you over the course of my 49th year, I’m looking forward to our new friendship, because that’s really what I’m looking for. More likeminded crazy 49’ers who like me ae not quite sure how to adult at the best of times and are trying to work out what to do with the rest of her life. Thank god for EASE retreats. My little business does keep me sane and out of trouble. I’m super excited to share with you who I’m collaborating with this Autumn!! Two brilliant authors and podcasters and both are cohosting a writers day retreat with EASE in October and November. I’ll let you into a little secret, you probably follow them as they write here on Substack.

So please let’s connect.

Until the next time

Stay safe and rest when you can

Tan xx

Just some of the books I'll be spending my 49th birthday with