This birthday felt different.
Not big or flashy (because that certainly is not me). Not overly planned (I am a planner though). Not even perfectly comfortable, considering my AC decided to have a whole moment during one of the warmer weeks.
But somehow, it still felt really sweet.
Maybe because I wasn’t trying to make it into anything more than it was. I wasn't overthinking the whole, "I'm 55 now" thing.
I had a lovely birthday dinner with friends. Lots of good meals and might I add a few desserts. Fresh flowers on the counter. A kitchen full of paper for The Story Post. A little too much chili crisp on almost everything. Okay, no, this is not true! You cannot have "too much" chili crisp in my humble opinion. Leave me a comment and let me know.
But how in the world did I go through this many years in my life to have not had chili crisp!!!???!!! I feel like I've missed out on whole food group!
A Birthday That Felt More Like Me
I’ve had birthdays that felt strange before.
My 50th was very, very hard for me. I don’t think it was only the number, although the number definitely had opinions. I think it was more that I felt a little lost at the time. I had achieved a lot of the things I once wanted, and I was grateful for that, but I also kept wondering what came next.
I'm super goal oriented so to not have a goal to strive towards in the middle of a world pandemic and suddenly feeling like I'm not youthful anymore at 50, well, it was hard. It was definitely all mental and it took me some time to overcome my angst about my age and figure out the question of "where do I go from here now?".
This birthday, turning 55, didn’t feel like that.
This one felt more calm. More settled. Maybe because I feel more at home in the life I’m building now. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of my full-time travel days, okay maybe not every minute, but most of the time. It was very rewarding and I do not regret it in the least. But that was the season of my life then. Now I'm in a different season.
And maybe that’s the thing I didn’t expect.
Sometimes you don’t arrive at a new version of your life all at once. Sometimes it happens through tiny decisions. Coming back to something you love. Letting something go. Trying again in a new way. Blooming slowly. Folding letters. Sitting with a cup of coffee. Choosing the tulips because they make you happy.
It all adds up slower than you think.
The Story Post and the May Theme
The May Story Post theme was “Let It Bloom Slowly,” and it felt especially personal this month.
When I chose that theme, I was thinking about how much of life doesn’t unfold on the timeline we expect. Sometimes we think we are behind, or stuck, or starting over, when really we are still becoming.
That has been true for me in so many ways.
Transitioning from full-time travel into apartment life took time. Figuring out what my YouTube channel could become after van life took time. Letting my hair grow out silver and finally feeling okay with that took time; especially after dying it back brunette twice before. Rediscovering how much I love creating, writing, filming, and making something with my hands took time.
And now The Story Post has become one of my favorite parts of this season.
I love the analog side of it. The paper. The letters. The prompt cards. The little details that make each envelope feel thoughtful. I love that it isn’t just another digital thing passing by on a screen.
Each piece has a reason.
And when people message me or send letters saying that one of the prompt cards gave them something to reflect on, or that the envelope brightened their day during a hard week, it truly means so much to me.
I’ve cried happy tears over some of those messages.
June Mail Club Is Still Open
If you’ve been wanting to join The Story Post, the June mailing is still open right now, but only until June 2.
After that, June closes so I can order, print, prepare, and mail everything out on time.
The Story Post is my monthly snail mail club. Each envelope includes a letter from me, a small art print or paper piece, a recipe or seasonal card, and a reflective prompt connected to the month’s theme.
It’s $9/month for U.S. subscribers, and it’s meant to be a quiet little pause in your mailbox. Something better than bills and junk mail. Something thoughtful to open, hold, and maybe save for later.
If you want to receive the June mailing, make sure you sign up before June 2.
Join The Story Post Snail Mail Club - It's a fun way to get a unique art print that I create, a personal letter by me, slow living prompt card, recipe card, and a few extras each month.
The Folding Machine Situation
One of the behind-the-scenes updates from this month is that I finally added a letter folding machine to my little kitchen mail room setup.
And yes, part of me had a moment of, “Is this less personal if I’m not folding every letter by hand?”
But honestly, I don’t think the meaning of The Story Post comes from whether I hand-fold each piece of paper.
It comes from the thought behind it.
The writing. The art. The prompt. The recipe. The way everything fits together. The care that goes into painting and creating each piece.
The folding machine just helps me protect my time and energy so I can keep doing the creative parts well.
A Very Full Kitchen
My kitchen was basically a mail room for a few days.
There were stacks of art prints, prompt cards, bookmarks, envelopes, tissue paper, labels, stamps, paper scraps, and probably several piles that made sense at one point and then immediately stopped making sense.
It looked chaotic, but it also made me really happy.
I like seeing all the pieces come together. I like the part where an idea turns into something real. I like sitting on the couch, putting each envelope together, and knowing these are going to end up in mailboxes all over the world.
It still feels wild to me.
A few years ago, I didn’t know this would be part of my life. I didn’t know I’d be creating a monthly snail mail club from my apartment. I didn’t know I’d feel this excited about paper, prompts, and postage stamps.
But here we are.
Blooming slowly, apparently.
The Chili Crisp Theme I Did Not Plan
I did not set out to make chili crisp the unofficial theme of my birthday week.
It just happened.
It started with chili mangoes from the grocery store. Then Emily made chili crisp sourdough, which was absolutely divine. Then I used the chili crisp sourdough for breakfast with eggs and added more chili crisp on top because why not. Then I had pho and added more chili crisp there too. I'm not joking when I say it was life changing. Add that chili crisp to the pho, OMG, I couldn't believe the flavor! Just sitting here writing this makes me salivate for it. So guess what I'm having for dinner tonight? If you guessed pho with chili crisp, you'd be right, but I did give you a big hint there.
Emily made the chili crisp sourdough bread after I sent her a video I found from another content creator who makes the wildest sourdough bread loaves with all kinds of ingredients you wouldn't think of - like banana pudding sourdough bread, or birthday cake sourdough.
Products and Links From the Video
Here are a few things I used or mentioned in this week’s video:
The Story Post Snail Mail Club
June is open until June 2.
Join here: https://www.amberjbaldin.com/storypost
My Vlogging Tripod
This is the tripod I showed in the video that works as both a tripod and a selfie stick.
Tripod link: https://amzn.to/430NUwH
Camera / Filming Setup
I filmed this video mostly on my iPhone because it’s easy to use, quick to set up, and great for capturing more natural vlog moments.
Camera gear mentioned:
- iPhone: https://amzn.to/436rNF3
- Canon camera: https://amzn.to/4vnSK3b
Mail Club Tools
A few tools I used while prepping The Story Post:
- Letter folding machine: https://amzn.to/43CgDIh
- Corner rounder: https://amzn.to/4o0H6su
- Paper cutter: https://amzn.to/4e0H5jQ
A Small Note on Turning 55
I didn’t expect to feel this good about this birthday.
I’m not dreading this age the way I thought I might.
I feel grateful for the life I’m in. Grateful for the work I get to do. Grateful for the friends who showed up. Grateful for good meals, small rituals, and creative work that still makes me feel excited.
This birthday week left me feeling full.
Not just from the food, although yes, definitely from the food.
But full in that deeper way.
Like maybe the life I have now took longer than I expected, but it also feels more like me than I knew it could.
I truly am happy and feel like the luckiest girl in the world to do what I do, have the circle of friends in my life that are kind, loving, considerate, and true relationships.
Thanks for being here on my birthday week!
Cheers,
Amber
