I love birthdays. Mine. Yours. Anyone’s really.
In my opinion birthdays are yet another reason to celebrate and I especially love doing that.
I’ve never been one to dread getting older either. I know some folks truly despise their birthdays like each one is another step closer to death. I never thought about it like that. Rather, I’ve always thought of my birthday as exciting and fun and honestly not at all scary or intimidating.
Maybe it’s because I don’t really feel older or because age is just a number, blah blah blah, or maybe it’s the childlike enthusiasm that comes with looking forward to an upcoming birthday that makes each year feel more magical and important than the one before. Or maybe it’s the cards and gifts and all the special “happy birthday” messages and songs. I love all that stuff!
I’m not sure what it is entirely but like every other year I’m looking forward to my birthday and as I approach this one—the big 4-0—I’ve been thinking a lot about my life, about the person I’ve become and about all the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had along the way, and specifically the things that happened in my 30s, as well as my goals and accomplishments, too.
In addition to birthdays, I also love making lists so, to mark the occasion and as a sort of decade sendoff, I made a list of thirty things I accomplished in my 30s. I made a similar list about my 20s (with just twenty things) when I turned 30 but I didn’t blog back then, or I’d have probably posted it too. To keep with the theme, in another ten years, I guess I’ll probably have to come up with forty things for my next big milestone birthday. Looks like I’ll be pretty busy in my 40s!
I also made a list of goals for the year ahead when I turned 39 (my insanity isn’t strictly limited to whole decades) and as I reviewed it recently I came to realize just how much I snuck in during the previous ten (and still counting) months.
Truly, a whole lot has happened this year! A whole fucking lot in fact! But it makes sense since it has sort of been an overall theme to the entire decade. 39 (which isn’t quite yet over but will be soon enough) has indeed been—and continues to be—a proper climax to my 30s.
It’s been a dramatic year filled with many twists and turns and more highs and lows than you can shake a stick at (I’m not sure what that means but I like how it sounds). I might even consider revising my Things to Accomplish in my 40s list (yes, of course, I’ve already drafted that, too).
Anyway. Here’s my list.
30 Things I accomplished in my 30s
- Lived in three states: Texas, New York and Iowa (prior to my 30s I lived in PA and NJ, too)
- Directed numerous large scale international events and ran a department at a media company
- Traveled nationally and internationally to many places and met lots of interesting people
- Directed two celebrity golf tournaments (in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic)
- Married my soul mate, Jason. Awww!
- Took a huge risk in giving up my career as an event planner to write a novel!
- Lived at the beach!
- Started my own company and eventually realized it wasn’t for me (this is a 2 for 1 deal)
- Designed two websites all by myself
- Started blogging
- Gave birth to a beautiful girl named Lyla. Being her mom has been awesome!
- Got diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease – not exactly a traditional accomplishment but still
- Learned to live with PKD and battled and survived postpartum depression!
- Connected with my inner hippy through meditation and astrology (I even met Susan Miller!)
- Taught myself how to read Tarot (this comes in super handy at parties!)
- Saw Prince in concert (checked that one off my concert bucket list!)
- Made the decision to move to Iowa!
- Bought a house!
- Made lots of amazing new friends and became a part of an awesome little community
- Bought new carpet for the house (so far, this is the moment I felt the most grown up)
- Wrote a bunch of poems and two novels (and revised and rewrote both several times)
- Went back to school to acquire my MFA in Creative Writing
- Wrote an award winning screenplay!! Yay!
- Got to stay downtown in Philly and play tourist in my hometown with my family
- Lost 50 pounds (gained half back but who’s counting?)
- Finally completed my novel Private Mommies Society!
- Graduated with honors!! I officially have my MFA in Creative Writing!
- Queried literary agents and kept pushing forward and revising despite rejections
- Received an offer of representation and signed with my agent!
- Hmm… Looks like I have room for one more… I have a feeling it’ll be a good one.
Valerie Zane 