I am turning 50! Instead of being nervous, depressed or scared, I am absolutely overjoyed, excited and grateful. And since in the past few years, my work has been all about life-lessons, I wondered about what I’ve learned in 50 years. As it turns out - a lot. Here’s my 50 in 50!

I love learning from powerful women, so I recently read biographies of two Queens very different to Camilla, the new Queen of England – Queens who were born into their positions, but also ruled their queendoms with huge success. I discovered that, no matter how different their lives and times were, real Queens teach us the same life lessons. Allow me to introduce your royal teachers: England’s Elizabeth I and Habsburg’s Maria Theresa.

Since yesterday’s start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I’ve been struggling with my PTSD from the Croatian War of Independence, and felt horrendous sadness for Ukrainian children. Today, I broke down when I saw children in shelters — wearing masks. No child should ever be forced to sit in a shelter while their home is being bombarded, trembling for their life, and wondering if their loved ones will survive.

I’ve lost my mother to lung cancer. One of my grandmothers to placenta cancer. The other to breast cancer. I supported my father through his battle with bladder cancer. And my husband through his battle with testicular cancers. Here’s what I’ve learned.

I so wanted to love Wonder Woman. But I didn’t like it. I expected more from a woman creating a female superhero than just copying (and punching) the men. Here’s my feminist film review.