30 Again

I know women as a gender seem to prefer to ignore their birthdays, but not me. I told my friend (who was teasing me about my birthday countdown on social media) that I see it as a product of healthy self-esteem. I am very glad I was born. Be enthusiastic and a little self-centered on the day you were born, it's only once a year. I'm not celebrating being 30 again because I feel 31 is something to be ashamed of. I'm just giving 31 the attention usually given to a 30th birthday because there was a wedding pending, an illness and a new baby last year instead of a big party. As an adult I have most certainly NOT required a party every year. Usually, dinner out and a card or two are just fine, but 30 is a milestone and it needed to be acknowledged.

So, rather than recant some "Before I Turn 30" list and bemoan missed opportunities I thought I'd list what I've accomplished to this point (toot, toot) whether I meant to or not. Here goes:

• Got a poem published
• Made Homecoming Court senior year (I know it sounds shallow, but it was a huge deal to me)
• Graduated High school in top 5% of my class
• Got Accepted (And paid my own way) through an amazing conservatory style theatre program
• Spent a semester in Ireland (that included St. Patrick's Day & My 21st Birthday!)
• SURVIVED being struck by a bus as a pedestrian
• Wrote a play
• Graduated with my BFA in 4yrs
• Lived in NYC for a whole year
• Played the lead in a new play (with the playwright's seal of approval)
• Got my driver's license (at 23yr old- it was a big deal)
• Moved to L.A.
• Went to the OTHER Disney
• Did my first independent film
• Got a role on a TV show
• Became a mother
• Survived MAJOR back surgery
• Took a cruise
• Visited Mayan ruins in Mexico
• Paid off my car
• Got married/planned a wedding
• Took my family on a cross country vacation
• Had a blog post re-published
• Started a business (that flopped)
• Learned the ins and outs of couponing

As you can see there's more to do, but my quarter life hasn't left an extensive bucket list. As always I think it best to "just keep swimming". These are, of course, the highlights (as I see them). There is still a good deal of the world left to see and many more adventures to pursue.