So, here is the thing… in a few short days, I will be celebrating a milestone birthday. 30. THIRTY. thirty. 3-0. The Big 30.

I am sort of okay with it and then other days (maybe most) pretty scared. What do I really have to be scared of? I know, right?  I think it comes down to the annoying time clock that just keeps ticking away. I don’t feel old. I do not feel like my age defines me. However, I do feel like my twenties were a time of exploration and excuses. You can get away with more crap in your twenties. Why? Because it is you 20’s! They are meant for finding yourself and all aspects of your life. Finding a companion, finding your passion, finding a career path, finding friends, finding a place in this world. You could make mistakes, get dirty, screw up royally and at the end of the day still save yourself under the good graces of exploring. My fear is that when the clock ticks midnight and I officially age one-year, I have lost all of that.

When I was pregnant, I felt like every other blogger around me was too. Sharing details of their pregnancy, week by week changes (you know – my baby is the size of an avocado today!), nursery sneak peeks and birth stories. And, now that I am turning thirty, I am finding that again, many of the bloggers I follow are too turning the same age.

Thirty things to do before I turn 30 is what nearly every single blogger has shared. They have amazing lists that ranged from learning a second or even third language to taking a girls trip to Napa Valley. They had strong goals and used the turn of a decade to check off some dream items.

I, on the other hand, failed miserably at such an approach a year ago.

So, then I thought, once I was 30 days out I would cleverly borrow the idea and create a smaller, scaled down, more manageable version for myself and the Blog. Yep, you guessed it… I failed at that too.

Now, I am staring thirty in the eyes and before I line drive its neck, I thought I would take a different more, gasp – positive approach.

THIRTY LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY 30 YEARS

1. That your parents are cool and can also be your best friends.
2. Oreos are amazing at 3 and at 30.
3. Money can actually be irrelevant!
4. Sending hand written thank you notes is incredibly meaningful and a lost art.
5. Family really is everything!
6. Sometimes all it takes is a change of perspective.
7. Not everyone has your best interest at heart. Learn that and learn to let them go.
8. Patience is a virtue. And, I have yet to accomplish.
9. Giving can provide the same great euphoria as receiving.
10. Sometimes all you need is ice cream, or a glass of wine, or both.
11. Yes, networking matters but sometimes life also comes down to luck!
12. Friendships after high school and college require diligent attention and effort.
13. There is 100% such a thing as “mom hair.” And, it was and is the messy bun I thought was cool in high school.
14. Sometimes a “boring life” is a blessed and good life!
15. Making homemade meatballs actually is not that hard.
16. Passing judgement truly just makes you an a-hole.
17. That my father was right when he told me on the first day of my first real job, “Contribute to a 401 K; one day you will thank me.” Thanks, Dad.
18. A title should never determine your self-worth.
19. A mother’s love is incredible, strong, ruthless and powerful.
20. Trust your gut!
21. Yes, backstabbers exist at 16, 21, 30, 40, 50 and so on.
22. Strive to not be happy but to be content.
23. Money can buy a lot of things but it cannot buy you class.
24. That drinking enough water, really is a legit thing.
25. That the dentist did not lie when he told you to floss daily. It too, is a legit thing.
26. Life is very much unfair but that doesn’t mean you should slack or make excuses.
27. You are in control of your destiny.
28. The sweetest words you will ever hear are your own child calling your name or saying “I love you.
29. The belief that you deserve everything you set your heart and mind to.
30. Loving yourself is a challenge but achievable.

As I quickly close in on the mile marker, I am reminded to refer to #10 above. Someone please pass me the pint of ice cream and a big ole’ glass of wine now. Like, right now! I promise myself I won’t eat and drink my way to 30 and through it. Instead, I will try to embrace the years, this life, the lessons and what is to come.

Here is to year 30, but more importantly to the thirty lessons I learned along this winding way.

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