Today, 35 years ago, I was born. To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to discover someplace random, easy-to-get-to, young, intriguing and fun. Someplace like Austin, Texas.
For weeks and without much formal thought, I let the idea float in my mind. Then the universe began to emit signs. First, my credit card sent an email with hotel promotions in Austin. As an avid unsubscriber, I am not quite sure how the flyer got in my inbox. Then, my parents announced they would be in my hometown for my birthday, allowing my husband and I to leave our two babies.
Without even googling the weather, I got our tickets to Austin. Who even knew Austin is the capital of Don’t Mess with Texas?
Last night, standing in front of our hotel room, I froze. We’d been put in room 629, my birthdate. Shortly after, our dinner search resulted in one clear winner: Elizabeth Street, which served peanut sauce, my favorite food. Elizabeth Street also happens to be the name of the NYC street I lived on after college, the place where my husband and I officially began our story during a weekend snowstorm.
As I poured peanut sauce over organic tofu, my husband asked me what all these signs meant. Basically, I said, it’s like in the “Bourne Ultimatum” when Jason lands in New York without anyone knowing except for CIA agent Pam Landy, and she sends him a message over the airport loudspeaker letting him know she is with him, she is on his side.
After some of the most challenging months of my life, I read these signs as a message from my cosmic Pam Landy letting me know that I am on the right path.
It is, no doubt, a birthday gift — this certainty that the universe is conspiring with me. This Texan message saying: “Howdy, child, do not be afraid to maintain your stride.”