The Big 3-0

Today is the last day of my twenties, for tomorrow, I will turn the big 3-0. GASP! Yes, I said it. I know, there are those of you who are out there rolling your eyes right now. Yeah, you. I know, cry me a river, right? Just let me get this out there. I approach my thirties with trepidation and remorse, anticipation and joy. Although, I now realize that thirty is far from the "old" I believed it to be as a teen, it is still the end of some of my most formative years.

In my twenties, I birthed three beautiful children, put my husband through college, finished a degree, moved six times, bought four houses, celebrated ten wonderful years with my sweetheart, worked for ten years as a Registered Nurse, ran my first full marathon, completed my first triathlon, published my first novel, made countless friends and lost a few along the way, learned to let go of the people who cause drama and heartache, and learned a lot about myself. I now find that it is not necessarily my age that makes me feel old, but my experiences and the stage at which I find myself in life. We are done building our family. Two of my three children are in grade school. I am no longer the new, young, and unseasoned nurse, but an experienced resource for the real newbies. Now is the time to look back on the past with fondness, embrace the present, and look forward to the future.

Like Kate in my recent release, Fall of Darkness, I too had a list of things I wanted to accomplish by a certain age. Mine was my "Thirty Before Thirty." I'm pleased to share that I was able to check off all of the milestones on that list. Alright, so I had to cheat a little on one. I wanted to leave the country at least once before I turned thirty and Hawaii is as far as I got. Hey, in all fairness, you fly over international waters. Splitting hairs? Probably, but I don't do failure well. I guess it's time to make my list of "Forty Before Forty." Get a passport and actually set foot on foreign soil will have to be at the top of my list.

My biggest goal for my thirties is to learn to love myself for who I am. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am my own worst critic. It is my hope that as I mature, I may make peace with my imperfections and love them for the individuality they give me. I'm not perfect. Life isn't perfect. It's messy and beautiful, crazy and unpredictable- just like me. ;) All I can say is, I look forward to the ride, it's going to be a wild one.