Birthday Reflection: I’m 30 AF

The other day I was buying alcohol and the sign said “Under 30? Have your ID Ready”. I laughed so hard that an employee stopped to ask if I was ok. I explained that my 30th birthday was next week, but I would still be IDed for another 10 years. Hashtag baby face problems.

I look young, but I don’t feel young. My face is showing age that maybe only I can recognize. There are fine lines and dullness. There is even a grey hair in my eye brow I pluck consistently (wtf is it doing there?). And excuse me while I blow a kazoo, because my birthday’s here and I’m officially in my 30s.

Happy 30th birthday to me.

Y’all, am I midlife yet? It feels like the quarter-life crisis barely ended, but here I am. Another decade behind me. What happens now?

Birthday Expectations

I had big plans to have a 30th birthday photoshoot with a silly tutu and crown. Maybe there would be a custom cake. Or even a photoshoot in a cemetery as I celebrated the funeral for my youth. There would be no balloons (#savethemermaids), but it would be an excuse to buy a pair of killer black heels. That seems like it would be in pour taste now.

I imagined spending the weekend mini-vacation at a bed and breakfast. We’d visit little shops and browse the knicknacks, then listen to music on the street. I am a sucker for local art and would fill up my phone with photos of the creative expression peeking through the cracks.

But instead, I’m celebrating my 30th birthday at home.

I’m reviving my nocturnal tendencies and spending time with the cats while my little family sleeps. Actually, who am I fooling. The cats are sleeping too.

This is the obligatory “list of the same number of things as my new age” blog post.

If I could list 30 things right now, I would much rather be listing 30 places I visited. My wanderlust spirit is struggling, hard. As much as I complain about moving (I really do despise moving), I enjoy the change of scenery. Maybe before I’m 40 I will buy a camper and live off the land. Or maybe that won’t be a trend anymore and I’ll still be in a two story house with a lot of clutter and not much character. I considered listing 30 books I read list year, but you could just check my Goodreads. Everyone lists the random facts, but most people don’t care that I collect cat whiskers.

So instead, I’m celebrating my 30th birthday by listing off 30 life experiences. Most of them are positive. Others were a learning experience.

Here are 30 life events, in chronological order.

1. Kissed by a sea lion at the New England aquarium.
2. Fell in my backyard and cut my thumb. It required a dozen stitches, and I have an intense scar.
3. Did a handstand in front of the Eiffel Tower. (Evidence)
4. Joined the stage crew for high school drama club, memorized the entire script, and ended in the show last minute
5. Graduated High School.
6. Tutored all throughout college
7. Earned the nickname “Scorch” because I burned myself. I am now an expert at burn care.
8. Wrecked my car in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods with no service, and waited hours for a car to come by and find me.
9. Worked with a Chef who would later win Chopped. (Read about him, here)
10. Got a few tattoos. Decided I would only get tattoos that referenced literary works, so they all reference books, songs, movies, etc.
11. Performed in sign language in multiple venues.
12. Played the role of the Ostrich in Peter Pan in the community theater group. (Evidence. Also pictured, my mom and sister)
13. Graduated college in 7 semesters. Learned how to turn a canoe right side up if it flips, and tap a maple tree. Developed most of my sustainability practices.
14. Joined a circus club. Learned how to spin poi and do acro yoga pretty well, and also played with lots of other circus props. But I still cant juggle.
15. Adopted my first cat. (Pepper Potts) Then accidentally adopted a second cat. (Cai Bean)
16. Attended the Miss America pageant. Twice. Both years New York won. (Check out my recaps from Miss America 2014 and Miss America 2015)
17. Had a summer romance. And totally writing that story into a fiction novel.
18. Lost my phone in a parking lot. Ended up marrying the guy who found it. True story. 
19. Moved from NY to TX. While I was 12 weeks pregnant.
20. Had a kiddo. One day I’ll share my birth story. I won’t do it again.
21. Went on a Disney Cruise, twice. The second time we were invited to an exclusive character meet and greet.
22. Opened a children’s clothing boutique, and ran it online for almost 4 years.
23. Started running, and realized I could run well. (Read my running story)
24. Kidnapped our third cat. (Elijah)
25. Bought our first house. It didn’t have a front door.
26. Ended up a group fitness instructor by happenstance, and really liked it.
27. Moved from TX to SC.
28. Bought our second house. Obviously sold the first one.
29. Decided to take the group fitness certification and passed on my first test. Still waiting to actually teach at a gym here, since all gyms are closed. Good timing for that certification.
30. Experienced a global pandemic, homeschooled my kiddo, reconnected with my family, reduced our overall screen time, found multiple new creative outlets, baked a lot, and celebrated my 30th birthday at home.

Thank you for sticking around with me. Here’s to another 30 years.