Tomorrow I Kiss my 20s Goodbye....

I'm reaching a milestone, I'm going to be turning 30...but was does 30 mean in today's world?  Absolutely nothing....  Being 30 is really no different than being 20 at this point to me except I have more money and parents aren't breathing down my neck!!  Well, my parents never really breathed down my neck, they are awesome, but living under their roof at 20-21 did come with a set of responsibilities.

As I look back on the decade that is coming to a close, I see what the past ten years has been, a glorious ride of ups and downs and all arounds.  When I started this decade I was a college student halfway through my degree, stayed up late, got up later and did some studying.  I was able to finish my BS with two minors in 4 years with a pretty good GPA when I was 21.  May 2003 college graduation seems so long ago!!  Go CCC grads of '03!  I started working for a nonprofit agency and was stationed on Montclair State University.  I made a lot of contacts that I didn't use that year but it's all good!  If I had, I would have been living in NYC.  After that 9 months I got a job working at Delta with my good friend Todd.  Working as an environmental consultant was boring, sitting in a cubicle staring at a computer screen was not my idea of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  I loved my office and I will never ever have co-workers like that again, but I just couldn't stand the job itself.  After 3 years in the private sector I started teaching.  I love my job, I have found the job that makes me happy, I have found the job I could do for the next 20+ years, so hopefully that stays the case.

Relationship-wise I've had 3 main "adult" relationships in my twenties, the last one is crossing over into the 30s.  I was never really a "dater" per se, but each relationship has taught me many things that are important to continue living and dealing with people.  The relationships have all been a net gain of good, even the divorce.  I can't say that I'm thrilled to be a divorcee at 30 but I'm happy that things have turned out for the good.  And through that process I learned a lot about myself and my own behaviors.

I started out my 20s probably close to or over 300 pounds (I didn't exactly monitor my weight yet....) and I'm ending it close to being under 200 pounds.  10 years to lose 100 pounds isn't so bad!  I have turned myself into a conscious eater, a runner, a yogi, an all-around much healthier individual than when I was 20.  I'm not perfect, I'm still overweight and it's still a struggle from day to day sometimes but I'm better than I was then.  I feel better, I look better, I am just better.  I'm healthier in body, mind, and spirit which is always an accomplishment.

So as I look back at the past decade, and into the next decade I am starting out this ten years as a better version of myself that can only continue to improve.  I have things I know I need to work on as far as myself and dealing with others, but being aware is half the battle, so I can't complain that my next decade is already starting out on a better foot than my last one.

Here's to another year I've survived on this earth and to the next one where I'm going to continue to thrive.  Birthdays are always opportunities!!