When I was in my early twenties, I went on my first diet. I did it to support a friend and I ended up losing twenty plus pounds. That in itself didn’t start my dieting career though. It was the comment I received after the weight loss from a male acquaintance who I thought was a demi-god. He said I looked hot. And that’s how dieting became my new best friend.

How could that one statement have impacted me so? How could this one comment keep me dieting for the next 40 years? Let’s take a look, because that’s exactly what happened.

I’m a chocolate lover.

I like the bitter, melt in your mouth sensation that comes with the perfect piece of dark chocolate. It reminds me of a cup of Parisian hot chocolate.

There are any number of delicious chocolate bar manufacturers, but my favorite comes from Iceland.

When my husband and I decided to visit Iceland a few years ago, a tour of the chocolate factory was on our list. I won’t go so far as to say that’s the reason we went to Iceland, but I won’t deny it either.

On April 1st we have a new moon in Aries and since a new moon means the sun and the moon are together in the sky, the sun is also in Aries signifying an astrological new year. All of this is to say that we have new beginnings showing up all over the place.

My Aries birthday was this past weekend. I turned sixty-nine. Sixty-nine years of experience. Some of my experiences I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but some have been incredibly beautiful. I really feel like anyone who grew up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s deserves a medal and anyone who made it through the 80’s with their hair intact definitely deserves an award of some kind. I try not to dwell.