Holiday Hangover + New Year

I keep singing the song Love Hangover by Diana Ross, but adding in the word holiday.

“I’ve got the sweetest holiday hangover, I don’t want to get over … “

Today was back to the “real world” after a few weeks of being in a holiday fog. It has been hard, for so many reasons, including not being able to justify starting my morning with left over cake and big mug of coffee while watching Elf. I mean, I guess I could, but justifying it is a lot tougher.

My son and I got up this morning, looked sadly at the empty space where our Christmas tree once was and we sat down to breakfast. I reminded him that we had to go back to preschool today and he cried into his raisin toast and then asked me what holiday was next.

I told him it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and he looked sadly at me knowing it wasn’t a holiday with presents or pie. It’s tough being 3.

We just need a couple of days and we will be back into the swing of things. I mean, come on! It’s 2015!

I always love the beginning of a New Year, it always feels so promising and hopeful and even though everyone hates it, I am one of those people who love to make a list of goals. I’ve always got the basics. Eat better, exercise more, stop screaming at people on the freeway, achieve a zen-like patience and go to bed earlier. These are standard goals.

But this year is a big year for me too.

It’s the year I turn 40 and honestly, even though I have already witnessed many a good friend go through this landmark birthday, there’s a part of me that is terrified. I mean, it’s 40. 4-0, Forty. I remember when my mom was 40, she seemed ancient. And now here I am, looking at 40 in the face and realizing that I still feel like a kid. I wonder if I’ll ever stop feeling like I’m waiting for the adults to show up and tell me what to do.

I don’t know. When I turned 30, I bought a ticket to Europe and landed in London and spent a month on my own traveling everywhere I could — making friends, eating croissants and drinking as much wine as I could.

But what do you do for 40?

Cry? Have a midlife crisis, buy a sports car, date a college boy, dye my hair that perfect color of eggplant that i always wanted but never had the nerve to do. Doubtful.

I’ve seen some great women in my life take-on new challenges once they turn 40. They’ve started new businesses, moved to another country, moved into a new career, joined Rollery Derby or finally started some kind of quiet dream they may have had but tucked away in their 30s.

It seems like there’s a feeling of reinvention that comes with turning 40. It’s almost as if you realize; “holy shit, I made it!” Made it to what? I am not sure, but you made it to this pinnacle age where you are supposed to know everything and in reality you may be a bit more lost than you were before, but that’s OK because the best thing about getting older is you just don’t give a damn. And that’s totally OK.

I’ll keep everyone posted on my own personal process of “reinvention.” There’s lots to report, but for the moment, I’ll just let you know that I am currently at work with Book #2. It’s a beauty and I can’t wait to share it with everyone this year!

Be on the look-out for author interviews, recipe stories and profiles all about: Eat ~Write~Love.

Have a wonderful New Year!

xo, Cindy Arora