three decades of me.

Today is my 30th birthday.

That's weird.

I'm not going to spend much time wailing about this milestone birthday and how I feel old, etcetera etcetera. You've heard it before from others, I'm sure.

What I AM going to do is talk about how weird it is to think that I have existed for three entire decades. That sounds a lot weightier than "I'm thirty."

I am just beginning my FOURTH decade on this earth.

WHOA.

Here's a highlight reel of my first three decades as a person.

THE FIRST DECADE

1987 – 1997

learned to walk and talk

gained a sister and a brother

got a dog

learned to ride a bike

THE SECOND DECADE

1997 – 2007

learned how to drive a car (officially, not just farm trucks and tractors)

got my first job

graduated high school

started college at U of M Morris

moved away from home for the first time ever

met the guy I would later marry

THE THIRD DECADE

2007 – 2017

graduated college

lived in New Orleans, Denver, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls

began my career at the library

got married

bought a house

got a cat

started a jewelry business

Of course, there was lots of other stuff sprinkled amongst the milestones: like making lifelong friends, traveling, and learning important life lessons (like don’t leave your parking brake on as you drive the fifteen miles home). But those stories deserve their own blog posts.

While today is the actual day of my 30^th birthday, I have jumped the gun and done a fair amount of celebrating already. Mom, Dad, and I went to San Francisco at the end of March to celebrate their 60^th birthdays (in March and January, respectively) and my 30^th. 

James took me on a long weekend trip to the Black Hills.

So even if nothing really happens on this, the day that I really and truly turn 30, I’ve had a great 30^th birthday already.

While I have few memories of my 10^th birthday, one can only assume it was awesome – because 1997 was a GREAT year for pop music. And back when I was turning 10, the only thing my fourth grade friends and I ever did was listen to music.

Let’s review:

“Barely Breathing” by Duncan Sheik

“I Want You” by Savage Garden

“MMMBop” by Hanson

“Quit Playin Games with My Heart” by the Backstreet Boys

“Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba

“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls

Remember those?!

I am reasonably positive that my 10^th birthday was spent roller-skating around the Volga auditorium to said songs, and I believe there were glow-sticks involved. I also believe that I received a lime-green feather pen as a gift: the ultimate 1997 gift. Turning 10 was a major success.

Plus, I had those sweet glasses.

My 20^th birthday, in contrast, was a TOTAL bust. I was dating the art major boyfriend, and we took the afternoon off from class to celebrate my birthday in St Cloud. I have (thankfully) blocked out what led to this, but he spent a good portion of the afternoon crying in his car. It should also be noted that I had to pay for our dinners at the Olive Garden – not that I believe that it’s the man’s job to pay for the woman’s meal, because I don’t believe that at all. But I do believe that NO ONE should EVER have to pay for THEIR OWN BIRTHDAY DINNER.

I did meet St Cloud Superman, so there’s that.

Upon arriving back to my on-campus apartment, I found out from my roommates that my then-friend James had been at the apartment waiting for me with a birthday twelve-pack of Mountain Dew. He was there long enough to watch the entirety 13 Going on 30 with them as he waited for me. James did leave before I got back, but not before covering the Mountain Dew in little pink heart-shaped sticky notes (provided by my roommate) with a birthday message on them.

I definitely wondered why I wasn’t dating him instead.

Total romantic comedy moment.

Ten years later, I’m celebrating 30 years on earth. Since it’s on a Wednesday and I’m an adult, I can’t just take off in the middle of the day.

Oh wait. I took half the day off from work.

So not really an adult yet.

Maybe I’ll turn into a real adult in my fourth decade.

No promises, though.