Many of you have probably seen the cinematic masterpiece that is 13 Going On 30 starring Jennifer Garner.  That movie came out when I was a teenager.  30 seemed so old to me at the time.  I always wondered why this 13 year old wished that she was 30.  It seemed so specific.  It soared past all the milestones of graduating high school, going to college, turning a legal drinking age, the many 20-something mistakes you make in your life, getting your first job, and learning how to find your prince in a sea of frogs.  Plus, she lived in the 80’s and loved Jessie Springfield and had some artfully crafted poofy bangs.  Also, neon.  Why would she want to give this up?

I turned 30 yesterday.  According to my Timehop app, I have expressed how “old” I am at each late 20-something age prior to this one.  I referred to my 29th birthday as “30-eve”.  I was actually excited about turning 30.  Yesterday I was, anyway.  My poor fiancé had asked me repeatedly what I wanted to do for my birthday.  I kept reminding him that these days I can’t even think past the day I am currently in.  Friday arrived and I was finally excited.  I went to work and my coworker had dumped an entire room’s worth of 30th birthday decorations onto my desk in addition to an impossible amount of confetti.  I went to lunch with my coworkers/wonderful new friends.  I received a Weight Watchers-friendly Edible Arrangement delivery from my best friend.  I came home to beautiful flowers and a card from my fiancé.  It was a great day… until about an hour after I got home.  Long story short, my evening involved frantically scouring the neighborhood for my Golden Retriever until I got a call from the Humane Society telling me that they had her.  Someone had found her at an intersection and brought her there.  She wasn’t wearing her collar, so thank goodness she was microchipped.  If you’re considering whether or not microchipping is worth the cost, it is.  Get your dog microchipped!  She has a few scratches on her ear.  We don’t think it’s a bite, but her giant, floppy, Falcor ears may have gotten snagged on something during her adventure.  I didn’t want to leave her for the rest of the night and I was just so happy to wake up to see her giant floppy face this morning.  Last night, the fiancé picked up pizza and we snuggled with our pups.  Looking back, even though I was upset about what happened to my pup, the night turned out perfectly.  I spent my night with the human and furry members of my little family.

I’m not afraid or upset to be in my thirties.  I don’t worry about feeling “old” anymore.  Even though I prefer to go to sleep before 10pm… Even though naps are my greatest pleasure… Even though the hangovers that used to be curable with a giant platter of Mexican food have now turned into taking a three day vacation in hell… This is 30.  My friend Lisa always tells me that my 30’s will be the best decade of my life.  She is currently working on her sixth decade, so she knows some stuff.  This is the decade when I become a wife and eventually, a mother.  I get to start my own family and our own traditions.  I can look back on my 20’s knowing that I lived it exactly the way I wanted to.  I had my college experience, I lived in another state, I had different jobs, I dated some princes… and some frogs, and most importantly, I let all these experiences shape me into my 30 year old self.  I have so much to look forward to and there will be so many more experiences to be had.  I can’t wait to see what the next decade has in store for me.

Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time.