30 for 30 days (a finale)

And just like that, my twenties -- and the first month of my thirties -- are over in the blink of an eye. I've waited a month to write this post because I wanted to think long and hard about what I was going to say. Turns out I have quite a lot to say, so it's been hard to pare things down and not write a novel about what it's like to turn 30.

In the last 30 days, I've done two important things. First and foremost, I've spent a lot of time going back and re-reading the entries in this blog. It has brought a smile to my face again and again as I re-lived each moment, and took time to think about each person that accompanied me on this journey. From riding in a hot air balloon with Betsy to running a half marathon with Kyle; "building" a home for Habitat with Anna or getting my fortune told by a psychic with Melissa; swimming with dolphins with Aynsley or going parasailing with Karen/Chad/Bryan/Christina/Anna/Kaitlyn; seeing an opera at the Met with Lauren/Christine/Tausha and going fake skydiving with Alex -- THANK YOU. Each of you have had an immense impact on my life.

The second, and I think more profound thing, is that I've taken the time to really reflect on my 20s and, although it's often uncomfortable to feel like you're tooting your own horn, I've forced myself to really focus on all that I've accomplished in the last ten years.

• I've graduated from college with a 4.0 GPA and as my school's valedictorian
• I worked for my dream company (Disney) in two dream jobs (PR/marketing) for more than 5 years
• I got accepted to, attended and successfully graduated from the Harvard Business School MBA program
• I went on a plane for the very first time in my adult life (at 20) and traveled to 6 countries and 16 states
• I've been on 3 cruises, eaten at every Walt Disney World restaurant and taken a magical work vacation to Las Vegas AND Hawaii for free
• I've reconnected with my father, who was absent from my life for 20 years
• I've had the chance to work with, and be mentored by, a handful of AMAZING bosses that taught me more than they'll ever understand (Belinda, Carrie, Bryan)
• I've built an independent financial life for myself -- purchased a car, furnished an apartment, and raised two little dogs
• I've risked it all, moving to Philadelphia without knowing a soul, forcing myself to tackle some tough inner demons that surfaced as I tried to figure out what it truly meant to start again
• I've gone to my first football game, seen snow for the first time, met countless celebrities, made new friends, kept old friends, been a bridesmaid 3 times, survived 4 surgeries, met a member of my UK family for the first time, lived in 6 different cities, worked for a non-profit, and even learned to love riding Tower of Terror.

It's funny. For quite a long time, I was dreading turning the big 3-0. In my mind, it represented the end of my youth, a time when I'd cross some scary chasm and really become an adult. But now that I'm here, I don't really understand why I was ever so afraid. Believe it or not, I DO feel like I crossed that scary chasm -- waking up on my birthday I really did feel different -- but being on the other side is great. For some reason, I have a new lease on life. I'm less concerned about doing things because they please others or contribute to the perception others have of me. I'm more sure of the things that I want in my life and am unafraid of taking risks to make sure I can make them realities. I still feel young -- but not too young -- and am thankful that I can leave those many pressures of my 20s in my past. And more than anything, I'm looking forward to another 10 years of life and all the wonderful things that will come along to surprise me. I'm excited to look back on my 40th birthday and craft a similar list for all that unfolded in my 30s. 

For now, it's all about getting out there and enjoying the present, and the people and things that are currently in my life. At least until I can craft my 40 things before 40 list and get cracking once more.