Today, I am thirty years old.

When I was fifteen, I made a list of things I was going to have done by today. I can’t find this list anywhere but I remember making it and the few things I remember from it will probably give you an idea of what it was like:

1) Live in France and learn to speak fluent French.
2) Travel to all seven continents.
3) Write best selling novel.

I love how my fifteen year old self wrote these big accomplishments like how I’d write ‘do laundry’ or ‘deposit checks’. At least I had high standards for myself I suppose! Back then, I thought that 15 years was a long time and when I was twice as old, I would have the time to have done so much more in life. I wouldn’t have to go to school or live at home anymore so there was no more excuses to not hit the list hard once I turned 18. Ok, 22. (Going to college was non-negotiable in my house.)

I was really prepared to be disappointing teenage Nicole. The only thing I’ve done on the list is learn French. What kind of record is that? One out of 20ish items would be a failing score on most any test.

But I’ve decided I’m not disappointed. I’ve had a lot of fun these thirty years and done things my 15 year old self never even knew about. And rather than looking at this list like a static thing, really it should have been changing as I went along. You know, kind of like this scene in UP where the husband thought his wife was disappointed in what she hadn’t done but really wasn’t:

The mental scrapbook of my life is looking a little different than that list I made all those years ago but it’s still been a pretty great adventure so far.

A disclaimer to younger people reading, I really didn’t think I’d ever get to thirty either. Not in a morbid way but I still feel the same way I did ten years ago (for the most part anyway!). So if you think being thirty is lame, I assure you that you will get here and it’s less lame than you think. Like I have money where I can buy stuff and own a short dog. That’s pretty cool, right?

OK, time to go celebrate my birthday… and make a new list. :^)

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