The Big 3-Oh, That's It?
I didn't ask for these but secretly wanted them. Sometimes Moms just know :)
It happened. I am no longer a "20-something." After all the build up, people asking how I felt about turning 30, and my own freak outs, when the clock struck 12 I was on my couch, trying to keep my eyes open because I wanted to take in the moment and had a hunch that my phone was about to ring. I felt almost neutral. It was like an internal sigh and then I remember thinking, "Ok, it happened," and just like that I realized what one of my good friends who is a little ahead of me in age had been saying was so true, I felt just like me, nothing was really different. Then my mom and dad called, as per usual, and sang and I went off to bed feeling very loved and excited to celebrate my favorite holiday. Yes, my birthday is a holiday and it is my favorite one (I'm not a total egomaniac I swear, your birthday is also a holiday, just not my favorite :) ).
This is now my most liked post on IG. If only everyone could have seen the BTS. That said, I was pleased as punch with this photo. #notsohumblebrag
The day went like this... Flywheel where Kara Liotta and Kate Hickl spoiled me rotten, incorporating some of my favorite songs and barre exercises into class. They also got me flowers and a yummy cupcake. Next it was home to chill for a bit and then, on the recommendation of my friend Kayla, I decided to do this year's birthday massage (a tradition I started and think will continue forever) at The Red Door Spa, Union Square (i.e. Elizabeth Arden's downtown spa). I LOVED my massage and found that I really prefer this location over the 5th Avenue spa. I think this may be my new go-to for massages. After the massage it was home to rinse, change, and then head to dinner. For the first time in years, my sister was on a little vacation from her Vet School rotations which meant that she was home for my birthday! I don't even know the last time she and I had dinner just us, so that was what I elected to do. We went to one of my neighborhood favorites and just had a wonderful time. Then it was on to the party, bowling at Bowlmor. I'm not a bowler but it's so fun and I hadn't been bowling in forever. I wanted to do something fun, kind of throw-backy, an to have an activity that also allowed for socializing. I spent a lot of the time making the rounds, checking in on everyone and trying to ensure everyone was having a good time and had people to talk to, etc. but I also had so much fun!
Sisters <3 ... The lighting was so bad and we are blurry and shiny but I just don't care, I love this picture.
I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love I received on my birthday. From texts, calls, Instagram messages and comments (sign of the times, I got way more IG messages/comments than Facebook posts/messages), to really thoughtfully chosen gifts, I went to bed feeling incredibly loved, it was rather humbling.
FYI, Sprinkles cupcakes are A+++ status
So, here's what I've realized in the past week. 30 is just a number and ultimately, everything is relative. Are there people younger than me who are already married, some with kids, yup. There are also many people older than me without one or both. There are people younger than me who have achieved amazing professional success and there are people older than me who still don't know what they want to do when they "grow up." It's so easy to feel like you're not where you should be. When I was younger, I thought I would be married by 25, have my first child at 27, and the second at 30. Sorry to disappoint little Leah, but no to all of that and that's OK. There is so much I've done that I never dreamed I would. It's hard to explain why, but I found turning 30 to be very empowering and I really do think that this decade is going to be great.
Are you 30/soon to be 30? How did/do you feel about leaving your 20s?