The 30s: A Retrospective

I'm five days away from saying goodbye to my 30s. In July of last year, I wrote about not fearing the 30s, but I didn't want to let this milestone pass me by without a proper sendoff. In that blog post I talked about how I felt as I aged through this decade, but not about what happened during it because how do you sum up the events of 10 years?

If you're me, you take the easy way out and stick to the big things.

I got married. It's been glorious, wonderful, maddening, and ugly. As long as you come out of the maddening and ugly parts on the same page, it's all good. It's really interesting to have a front row seat to someone daily and see how they grow, change, and stay the same.

I watched my friends get married, a few get divorced and re-married/re-partnered in ways that suit them so much better. Some have had children I consider my nieces and nephews. My own blood related niece was born and she reminds me so much of my Grandmom and Mom-Mom that I sometimes cry thinking about how absolutely delightful they would find her.

I grew apart from some people I thought I'd be close with forever, and grew close with people I never imagined entering my life. I turned my back on people who destroyed my energy and peace without one regret because when it's a choice between you or me, I will always choose me. My inner circle got smaller but has never fit me so well. I see friends I haven't seen in months and it feels like sliding into my favorite chair. I don't see my friends face to face as much as I did in those endless nights and warrior weekends of my 20s, but we see and appreciate each other for who we are far more.

I had times of being flat out unable to pay bills and times of feeling so fortunate and comfortable financially that I couldn't believe it. These days I typically find myself in the latter comfortable camp, but I don't ever let myself forget how the former felt.

I left the second job of my career and started the third, where I still am. I became a public transportation commuter and that has provided me with endless rage and entertainment.

We bought a house when we were totally not ready to buy a house. A little over six years later, we did that again but this time at the shore. No material possession has ever made me as happy as owning a shore house and I don't think anything will ever come close.

We added two dogs to our family, bringing our canine population to three...which is two more than I ever thought I'd have at once.

I went to Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, New Orleans, Maine, San Francisco, Chicago, Emerald Isle; Disney multiple times including finally seeing it done up for both Halloween and Christmas; Salem and Boston, MA; Rhode Island; Riviera Maya and Cozumel in Mexico; Cocoa Beach, Key West, Islamorada, Ft. Lauderdale, and Boca Raton in FL; cruise stops in the Bahamas/St. Martin/St. Thomas/Cozumel; Niagara Falls; Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Devil's Tower, Badlands, Little Bighorn; and other places I'm forgetting. Every place I've visited has claimed a small room in my head, heart, or both.

I stopped doing what the world told me I was supposed to do and started doing what works for me in my life at that moment.

I changed a little bit every day.

I can't begin to describe the little things or the daily things, and those things...those are the things that actually make a life. Those things are one of the reasons I started this blog.

I've seen and done a lot over the past 10 years. I've been so many different versions of me.

I've learned a lot about life, myself, and the world; and forgotten about the same amount in all columns.

My 30s were full of messes and triumphs. It has been amazing and interesting with a dash of awful or exhilarating thrown in here and there for balance. I can't imagine how my 40s will top it, but I look forward to finding out.