Fortunately or unfortunately, I am 6 months and 1 day older than Matt.  Fortunate I suppose because it makes me feel wiser and in charge!  Unfortunate because well, I turn a year older before he and most of my friends do.  This next birthday is the landmark year – THE BIG 3-O / DIRTY THIRTY / whatever you want to call it

No longer can I say I’m in my mid or even late twenties.  Now I’m just thirty.  Thirty!  Oh my just the sound of it is … OLD!  Gah!

Goodbye Twenties!

I must say though, in these past nearly thirty years, I have accomplished a handful of things I am proud of:

• Graduated from University of Oregon (1 year early might I add – yes I was a studios kid) 
• Participated in a study abroad program to Japan for 3 months (met a wonderful host family that I still keep in touch with to this day)
• Bought my condo (of course, with the help of my parents) and
• Married my best friend and soul mate

This is just the start of my accomplishments though and there are many other things I want to achieve in my life:

• Become a mom 
• Buy our dream house (and hopefully keep our condo to build equity)
• Travel to new destinations
• Learn a new language
• Start my own charity or at least participate in a worthy cause
• and from time to time I contemplate opening up my own business

Lets not get ahead of ourselves though!  Before all that, first is the “Dirty Thirty” and I have come up with some things that I would like to do before I turn thirty on 01.14.2014.  Here is the checklist:

• Do something crazy… in the air (like skydiving or hang gliding) 
• Do something crazy… in the ocean (like surfing or stand up paddle boarding – this is not that “crazy” but for me who never goes out in the ocean and is not the “best” swimmer … then call me crazy!  It is also crazy that I’ve lived here all my life and never went surfing before)
• Do something crazy… to my body (like get a tattoo – I honestly do really want one, but if my dad ever found out he would kill me.  Not only that, but I would need to find something truly meaningful and I have not found what I’m looking for yet.  That and bottom line is I can’t stand pain and I am also very indecisive so chances of this being checked off is very VERY slim – so if you read this dad, which I know you won’t, you don’t need to worry, but I had to list it anyway because it is something I ponder from time to time)
• Travel somewhere new… this is an easy item to check off seeing as how we’re planning our honeymoon to Europe in November!
• Build a garden… this is always something that I start and stop basically because my plants always die.  But I am still hopeful that one day I will grow that green thumb and be self-sustaining for produce and herbs.  I will plant in December after I return from Europe and it will grow within a month before my 30th!
• Tackle the Honolulu Marathon… I signed up for this awhile back and have yet to start training.  This will be interesting and I hope to complete it with or without training!  Call me stupid!

There are many other things I want to do, but those are just off the top of my head.  If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to add it in.

Let’s end this post with the following headline:

Dear thirties, ready or not, I’m coming to get you!  Let the countdown begin and I hope it really is as they say, “thirties are the new twenties”