Well to be honest, I think I freaked out more when I turned 29. That may seem a bit strange, but I think now that I've had a year to get used to the idea that I'll no longer be in my twenties...yeah, that's a lie. It's freaked me out the whole time, but ya know, it's just a number. And as I was just reminded of the other day, I don't "look" 30...whatever that means. I mean, I suppose that's a blessing...or will be once I really start getting old (Definition of "old" being relative to whatever you believe is old. Ha!). This may sound cliche, but something my grandma said was that you're only as old as you feel. When she was probably in her 80s or 90s, she told me that she would often walk past the mirror and wonder, "Who's that old lady?" So, if that's true, then I'm really only about 21. Woohoo!! I've got everything to look forward to again! Finishing my undergrad degree...going on a mission...getting my first professional job...starting grad school...etc., etc., etc. Which reminds me...while I was surfing around on the internet for things to link to this message, I found an article that first reminded the reader that, "Unless you make it into one, turning 30 is not a death sentence". I can agree with that. I mean, isn't 30 the new 20? The writer of this article also advised those turning 30 to ignore all of the annoying articles with titles like "100 Things You Simply Must Accomplish Before You Turn 30!". To those articles I say, "Bah! Baloney!" Something that it did, in fact, suggest was to think of all the things you have accomplished in your life by this time and to list them. I liked that idea. So here goes...
- I earned my high school diploma, an Associate Degree in German and a Bachelor's in Linguistics, with a Minor in TESOL and I began my Masters degree in Folklore
- I've lived in Wisconsin, Idaho, Latvia, Utah and Virginia
- I've learned new skills like basket-weaving, how to speak using various dialects for the stage, how to speak Latvian and Latvian Sign Language and I've studied a small handful of other random languages
- I served an 18 month full-time mission to Latvia for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- I have visited Germany, Austria, Latvia, England, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy, France and numerous U.S. States
- I have read oh...I don't know some 5000 books (this is a guesstimation, but I'm going for my whole life...so maybe it should be higher. I don't know.)
- I have seen some 3 billion films (maybe a slight exaggeration, but it doesn't feel like it)
- I have become an aunt 19 times over
- I have gained many lasting and life-changing friendships
- I have been on hundreds of dates (I was debating whether this was an actual accomplishment or merely a matter of course...jury's still out.)
- I bought my first car (ok, well it almost looked like that)
- I traded-in my first car
- I bought my first "real" car
- I started a blog
And one more thing...any birthdays that gave you cause to pause and wonder...what the? When did I get this old? Good. Let's hear it.
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Here's my addendum:
Okay, so in re-reading my own post, I realized that not all will want to participate in posting their accomplishments here. No problem. It wasn't meant as an excuse to boast, but more as an exercise in learning to appreciate just how far I (and each of you) have actually come in life. So, even if you don't post here, maybe you can make a list for yourself in your journal or something. I realize that not all of you may be feeling as pensive as I am right now, what with my impending birthday and all. Just a thought.
A few things that I left off of my list of achievements…
• I was both a Brownie and a Girl Scout and earned several merit badges
• I have sung in numerous choirs and choruses
• I learned to play (although feebly and I did not stick with any of them) the oboe, percussion and the piano, which only helped develop my love for music and appreciation for those who actually do play instruments!
• I participated in my high school musicals and plays and later participated in theatre at Ricks College, earning me the Best Actress Award for the year 1997.
• I was the president of the German Club and a member of the German Honors Society in high school.
• I earned my Young Womanhood Recognition Award
And there is my addendum. Any of these things remind you of what you've accomplished in life? I hope so. Even if you don't want to share yours, what are your thoughts on getting older? Any great words of advice or encouragement? Any insights that need to be passed on to me and future generations?
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