I sincerely miss those heavy metal bands...

Twenty-two hits in just about one hour.

I haven't had much time lately to think about turning another year older. I'm excited that 21 has come and gone, it was quite a year.

I traveled to London and Ireland, Spain and Greece, Rome and Portugal, Amsterdam and Bruges. I discovered the vast and beautiful Bible belt while venturing to Bonnaroo.

I watched the sunset on Primrose Hill with a bottle of wine and best friends. I watched the sunrise after staying up all night and despite my headache, it was undeniably gorgeous. I started to believe in vampires and Robert Pattinson. I danced to techno. I danced in the rain.

I bought my first car and I named her Lola. I bought my first Phish ticket, followed by 4 more to complete the tour. I made mistakes, a lot of mistakes. I changed my mind incessantly. I learned.

Twenty-one took someone away. Someone that could bring you happiness just with his smile. He was the best. 

But twenty-one brought many newbies. And twenty-two will bring many more new things. And if anything has gotten me through all the travels, the mistakes, the lessons, and losses, these twenty-one...-two years of life, it has been the music. Songs of old and new, good and bad, I have heard them all. So here, I compiled the 22 for my twenty-two.

Year Twenty-Two

1. Hang On- Dr. Dog

2. White Limo- The Felice Brothers

3. I Heard Your Voice in Dresden- Elvis Perkins

4. Tonight- Sibylle Baier

5. All When We Were Young- The Felice Brothers

6. Come On Up to the House- Tom Waits

7. Full Force Gale- Van Morrison

8. Gotta Keep Walking- Willy Mason

9. I Shall Be Released- The Band

10. Miles From Nowhere- Cat Stevens

11. Let It Loose- The Rolling Stones

12. Heavy Metal Drummer- Wilco

13. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You- Bob Dylan

14. Till The Morning Comes- Grateful Dead

15. Chalkdust Torture- Phish

16. Ophelia- Levon Helm

17. Late in the Evening- Paul Simon

18. This Will Be Our Year- The Zombies

19. This Time Tomorrow- The Kinks

20. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, & Understanding- Elvis Costello

21. My Sharona- The Knack

22. If I Should Fall From Grace With God- The Pogues

Bonus Track: Bad Romance- Lady Gaga

**And yes, if you're wondering, the very best birthday present is still a mix-tape.