Memorable 49th 'Earth Landing' anniversary

Last Updated on October 27, 2024 by Ellen

Lucky number 49. I made it to another birthday.

A friend of mine calls a birth day an “Earth Landing.” I like that. (I’m stealing it, Jerry!)

Earth Landing anniversary

My birthday was perfect. I went to Kalibo from Boracay to visit with friends I need to talk to in person now and then to stay sane.

You see, I’m really kinda nutso. My friends help keep me on a spiritual path. They remind me to check my ego, and grow through service to others.

Because Earth time is full of choices, and I chose to live in a way that #kindnessmatters means way more than a hashtag to put on social media.

I feel most alive when I’m traveling, or helping, or listening, watching, learning. These are the times – the experiences in my time – that I love the most. These are the times I feel closest to God, and I love God.

Day trip

Thankfully, it was not sweltering hot on my birthday. It was cloudy, and therefore relatively comfortable. (I am so tired of tropical heat and humidity.)

In the relative cool, I enjoyed a walk in Kalibo, ate lunch outside (!) on a lovely patio at a friend’s home without sweating (too much), had a provocative discussion about spirituality in a lovely ‘serenity garden.’

Travel back to Boracay from Kalibo was fast and pleasant and cool in an air-conditioned passenger van and an open-air outrigger ferry.

I watched the landscapes and seascapes and enjoyed regional movement. I’ve been to Kalibo so many times now that I can easily tell you where we are at most moments of the 90-minute trip through barangays and hills.

I relish these trips to somewhere because I feel like I’m exploring – growing – living.

Since my Earth Landing, I’ve lived through 49 orbital trip around the sun.

That human time counted another way (including today):

2557 weeks
17,899 days
429,576 hours
25,774,560 minutes
1,546,473,600 seconds

Human time counted since I chose sobriety:

542 weeks
3,794 days
91,056 hours
5,463,360 minutes
327,801,600 seconds

Human time lived since my breast cancer diagnosis:

113 weeks and 5 days
796 days
19,104 hours
1,146,240 minutes
68,774,400 seconds

(Calculations courtesy of timeanddate.com.)

What a strange trip. What a perfect trip. I know it was always – and is always – God’s will. So as much as I might bemoan our world travel pause, I do see we are supposed to be here. For now, anyway…

Night at home

When I returned to Boracay from my Earth Landing anniversary trip to Kalibo, the small studio apartment rental for our mini-vacation visit was dark and empty. Tedly was not yet back from his Ati visit and other errands. I took a few moments to meditate and then read in the quiet.

Tedly came bustling back about 20 minutes later. He had ingredients for one of my favorite dinner dishes: cool Greek salad.

And he had a giant chocolate cake. It was spongy and light, with a rich, dark icing.