Day 1

1. If I were to write down a complete account of my day how would I feel about the day's events and how I lived?
   
   Well, let's see. Today was my 25th birthday. I spent most of the day on the road, from St. George, NB headed towards Halifax, NS. I certainly didn't do a whole lot in the way of changing the world but I did convince the boys that perhaps just saying thank you is not enough and that we should send a thank you card to the people that we've been staying with for the past few days. I don't think that I'll convince the boys of that in the long term but a small gesture to show gratitude for the kindness that we have received will certainly not go astray and I'm sure it will mean something to the people who receive it.
   
   All and all I am at peace with the way I've lived my life today.
   
2. How did the way I lived today bring me closer to the kind of life I aspire to live?
   
   I think that today was a lesson in gratitude for me, personally. I always try to be thankful for the obvious things and I often do it without thinking because it is programmed so deeply into who I am thanks to my family, but conscious gratitude and thankfulness is a different thing. I think that there is something to be said for actually taking the time to be thankful for things that we say "thank you" for rather than just saying it and moving on.
   
   A big part of the reason that people don't send thank you notes or even emails much anymore is because we are grateful in the moment and once that moment has passed we don't give it any further thought. I'm going to make an effort to be consciously grateful, and to take the time to actually write thank you notes in the future.
   
3. What steps did I take today off the beaten path?
   
   When I was writing these questions I didn't really give any thought to how broad of a question this is, or how open to interpretation. I could rework it so that it was a little more specific, but what would be the fun in that?
   
   Today I discovered a small restaurant east of Sussex, NB. It was called Chummley's and it had the most delicious scallops I've ever tasted. We came across it on our way towards Halifax and had dinner there for my birthday. It was absolutely delightful and I am glad that we stumbled across it.
   
4. What made today extraordinary?
   
   Today was the first time I've ever been to Nova Scotia. Although we arrived after dark it is always amazing to be in a new place and to know that great experiences are coming your way.
   
   Today was my 25th birthday. More people remembered than I expected would, and that made me pretty happy. It's always nice to feel the love on your birthday.