Read time: 4 min.

Today’s my birthday, and I turn thirty-six. Thirty-five was a disaster, but things finally seem to be heading in the right direction. Here’s hoping they’ll stay that way.

A year ago, I waxed poetic about what it felt like to be the last of my old cohort still going on the aimless drives and explorations that taught me about East-Central Indiana’s built environment. They did a lot to transform local history from something abstract into something tangible for me. Years later, many of my interests, and the posts that follow, trace their origins back to those carefree trips. Although reflecting on that was bittersweet, I responded by doubling down: over the past year, I expanded my horizons to include landmarks I’d overlooked like Indiana’s thirty-nine remaining county infirmaries.

As a matter of fact, I’m spending today tracking down five of those old county homes in the southern part of the state. In addition to it being my birthday, it’s also the tenth birthday trip my mom and I have taken. Back in 2017, I was broke but determined to visit the last handful of Indiana courthouses I hadn’t been to yet. Mom volunteered to drive, and it turned into a tradition we both look forward to every November. These aren’t elaborate excursions, but they contribute a lot of content here and it’s fun to hang out with my mom.

I’ve made more of an attempt to recognize the importance of traditions -even small ones- over the past twelve months, since they’ve been full of change and uncertainty. First, I lost my job. Then, I lost my stepdad. Next, I lost many of my possessions in Facebook Marketplace sales so I could afford to pay the bills.

Despite the sea of staggering challenges, though, some good managed to weasel its way into my life over the past year. After I was abruptly terminated, I finally had the ability to address some longstanding medical and dental concerns. I could have never afforded any of that work with my company’s insurance, nor would I have been able to make time for it. I’m not ashamed to say that state welfare programs, a clinic at the homeless shelter, and a sliding-scale dental office earned the lasting gratitude.

Another good thing that happened over the past year was the chance to meet three internet friends in person: Brett of Hoosier Gym Journey, Dylan of the Jay County Historical Society, and Lance of Moundlore. The best, though, was when I finally got a new job. Returning to work anywhere would have been an enormous relief over seven months without a job, but this seems like a fantastic fit. In addition, the company has connections to some of the area’s quirkiest landmarks and my office is in a century-old school building. Those highlights are truly on-brand for me!

Anyway, I’m on the road today and I’m excited to start writing about what I found. I hope that my brother’s up for a steak tomorrow, and that’ll be the extent of my birthday celebration. I’m grateful for some of it, but most of thirty-five didn’t wind up being the year I’d hoped it would be. In some ways, it couldn’t have been worse. I don’t know what thirty-six has in store, but I hope it includes more of the good and less of the bad. Set yourself a reminder to come back a year from now! Together, we’ll see if it did.