I have officially lived my 30th year of life and am now onto the 31st. Everyone always makes such a fuss about the big 3-0. There are millions of lists proclaiming things to do before you hit 30, things to stop doing before you hit 30 and things to do while you're 30. (We'll visit these lists in a second.) I always thought these "big years" were just overly hyped up... I mean, nothing exciting happened when I turned 16 or 21. I just got older, the earth revolved and life went on. But surprisingly, 2015 has been rather significant.
It started with the passing of my first ever pet - R.I.P Kensington, then I got engaged and married twice (to the same man),
I got a tattoo and dyed my hair a crazy color for the first time-- yes, the FIRST time; I am the world's latest bloomer. Look me up in the record books... "Erica Ngo: World's Latest Bloomer",
I "dreamed big" (oh, the cheesy catch phrases!) by starting my own business and I finally accepted & embraced issues with my health.
I'd say that year thirty has been quite the adventure.
Shout out to @beatinfertility for having this inspirational picture on Instagram that I'm totally stealing and using for my blog!
Before I started this blog entry, I wanted to do some research... what exactly is a 30 year supposed to be doing with their life? I've never been similar to my peers but no matter how different we all are, everyone will come across the same doubts and fears as we move into adulthood. Along with these doubts & fears, we all try to create bucket lists for ourselves. Let's see what the Internet thinks our bucket lists should look like--
I'm fabulous because I don't do many of the things that BuzzFeed thinks is bad for 30-year-olds.
First off, let's explore things that I should no longer be doing: http://www.buzzfeed.com/shannonrosenberg/unhealthy-living-habits#.qj65WmXpx
I'm safe here; being the World's Latest Bloomer, I never really even picked up half of these habits. The only ones I still obsess over are #8 (mostly at craft shows when I see all the vendors around me doing so much better than I am. *screams & cries* "Why does no one like my pillows!!!"), #15 because I love to sleep & #18 because, really, who really stops doing this?
Living your dreams and pursuing your goals came up a lot on these lists. I am proud to say that I can check that off because I have RagsReborn---my life, my breath and my soul!
Now that I've kicked all my bad habits, let's see what I'm supposed to have achieved. I picked the top two websites on my Google search.
Whoa, whoa, WHOA... "Go bungee jumping or skydiving," "Climb a mountain ," "Learn to bar tend," "Go scuba diving." I can't do any of these things. I can't even swim!! Plus, none of these things interest me. Next list, please.
This list seems more realistic. I have accomplished about half of the things described on the list. Woo hoo, go Erica!!
* I've traveled to Paris (not as this author described... I went with family when I was 10.)
* I've turned my hobby into my dream job (that should count as "working at my dream job").
* I was a member of a young professionals group who did volunteer work and I have various charities as my life insurance beneficiaries.
* I took a road trip this year! And have fallen in love. <3 (Since my road trip was with my husband, I decided to mark these off the list as one item.)
* I have traveled solo and am on my third passport (the damn things keep expiring!!)
* I've taken several "how to" classes, read some of the classics, watched plenty of "must see movies," learned a plethora of DIY crafts and have met many new & interesting people throughout my lifetime.
* I haven't written a book but I've written a blog...does that count?
* I got a tattoo & have ridden on a motorcycle.
* I've always lived pretty healthily and I love exotic foods!
* I've seen my favorite band (Goo Goo Dolls!!!!) and a Broadway show (I saw Cabaret in Madrid...maybe that doesn't really count as "Broadway.")
This picture goes with the last section of this paragraph... the "be content with what you have and stop pitying yourself" part.
Last one... what should I be doing now that I am in my thrities? http://distractify.com/old-school/2015/04/22/smart-things-to-do-at-30-1197892772
After reading this list, I feel pretty good about my future 50 year old self. I do almost all of these things already. :) There are only a few that I need to get myself into gear on.
I was exercising on the regular but don't as much anymore. I'll add this to the list of New Year's resolutions. And I MUST "learn to be content with what I have." I live a pretty good life but there a lot of things that people my age have and talk about that I will never experience. That is when the suicidal pessimistic loner version of me comes out. "Stop being suicidal pessimistic loner Erica" will also be added to the list of New Year's resolutions. The last thing that keeps coming up on all these lists and will definitely be a part of the resolutions is "become a homeowner".
These lists are all pretty generic and I agree with a lot of their points but we each live our own special and unique lives so I have made a list of my own. The top three things that I am most proud of achieving in my thirtieth year are:
1. I found my best friend, my other half, my soul mate and all that other mushy titles that I'm supposed to use when referring to my husband. I love being married. It wasn't something that was on my bucket list but now that I am married, I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. I "discovered who I am." It sounds so cliche but I think I finally accepted myself as a person (Who Erica is-- "I'm a fiercely independent weirdo who can't whip or nae nae, who loves dogs and doesn't like crowds and only has about 3 or 4 friends but having any more would be too stressful so I've stopped trying to make new friends which makes me come off as really socially awkward."). I let a lot of my former friends go and focused on what made me happy. I joined a book club, attend numerous craft shows, and finally stand up for myself at work (much to my boss' dismay).
3. I discovered some health problems but instead of dwelling on it, I sought medical attention and accepted my infertility with pride. I'm actually working on a stand up routine... here are my first two jokes:
How infertile is she?
Having sex with Erica is the number one form of birth control!
How infertile is she?
Inspirational posters have a disclaimer made just for me!
Okay, so maybe the stand up was a bad idea. LOL Endometriosis sucks big time and I'm still a little sad and bitter (anyone infertile who says that that aren't is a liar) but I think I'm mostly okay. I have my fur babies, Sadie & Athena, and of course, I have my craft shows.
All in all, year 30 was quite great. The pros outweighed the cons. Husband, thriving Etsy shop/craft show/small business & new puppy. Happy birthday to me and I look forward to year 40!
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