My birthday, in my opinion, is a holiday. I do not work on my birthday. I love that I have the same birthday as 4 other amazing women.
I actually think everyone should celebrate their birthday in some way – whether taking the day off work, having a party, going on a trip, or buying themselves something special.
- On my 40th birthday, I decided to celebrate each birthday outside of my home state. I did that every year until the pandemic.
- In 2022, I released myself from hibernation and celebrated in Costa Rica.
- For my 50th birthday in 2023, I spent the weekend in a hotel alone in my city and went to the movies by myself for the first time. It was exactly the introspection and reflection that I needed for such a milestone.
- This year I had the privilege of traveling to Ohio to view the North American Total Eclipse. Ohio was the 22nd state I’ve visited and I chose that location because I had never been there. I watched the eclipse from Lake Erie which was super special.
One of my ‘birthday twins’ said, “Our birthday is so special that the sun and moon decided to hug to mark the occasion”, and honestly, that felt so true. I’ve been trying to come up with the perfect words to describe my total eclipse experience and honestly, I have not. It was beautiful, amazing, spiritual, emotional, and so much more. If you experienced it, you understand my sentiment.
I was able to visit the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania on my way to Ohio and yesterday I visited Historic Harper’s Ferry. It was my first time visiting West Virginia – and my 23rd state. I was also able to get delicious dairy-free, gluten-free cupcakes from 2 new bakeries. Because you know how I love cupcakes.
A recent YouGov poll states Americans on average have been to 17 states. According to a new study conducted by Livablity.com and Ipsos Public Affairs, the average American has visited just 12 states. A Statista survey revealed states that the number of states visited by adult respondents in the United States as of September 2022 is 2-5. Who knows who is correct!! How many states have you visited?
At one point I wanted to visit all 50 states in an RV. At another point, I wanted to have a cupcake in each of the 50 states (I’ve had a cupcake in 15 plus Washington, DC). Recently, I have decided that I will increase my US state visit count to at least 25 before the end of the year and that I will visit all the states on the east coast. After that…we’ll see LOL!
REMINDERS:
- Challenge yourself – keep learning, keep growing.
- All work and no play leads to professional burnout.
- No one needs you more than you need you.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, is committed to career development, professional development, and organizational development. As Founder and CEO of Nicki Sanders Leadership Consulting, her mission is simple – to eliminate toxic workplaces by developing skilled, empathetic, and goal-oriented leaders who have the vision, support, and resources to create a culture where business prospers, and employees thrive individually and collectively. Nicki supports high-performing women of color in social work leadership in developing careers that feed their hearts, minds, and wallets. She has an extensive background in nonprofit management leading high-functioning, multi-disciplinary teams, volunteer recruitment and retention, and social impact programming. Nicki is an accomplished professor, coach, trainer, and group facilitator who has combined her gift for authentic relationships, Master of Social Work degree, and over 20 years of diverse work experience to create a life and career aligned with her values and purpose. She is a lover of nature, cupcakes, travel, and 80’s hip hop and R&B music.
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