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Hello, 44

on birthdays

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Kim Nelson
Apr 27, 2023
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Today is my birthday; I am 44 years old and I definitely did math just now to confirm that for sure. Since this newsletter’s main theme is about moving through the world, it feels like a fitting occasion to add the layer of moving through time through the world. I was born in southern California, like a redwood sapling or a sitcom pitch, then I was whisked away to the snowy wilds of “Chicagoland” where I grew up in suburban malls and video stores. I started thinking about how I’ve celebrated my past birthdays; nearly all were spent close to home, but a few came to mind that happened elsewhere. It got me thinking about looking at those particular years as anchors in time, a way to look at not just where I was but who I was in those moments.

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I turned eighteen over a weekend-long high school trip to Devils Lake, Wisconsin with my rock climbing class. As a…

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