Part 2 of my 30By30 Challenge

When I looked up the word ‘age’ in the Thesaurus here are some results that came up; decline, deteriorate, get along, grow feeble, grow old, grow up, mature, put mileage on, ripen. To quote a popular movie from my generation, “As if!”

If this is how our society defines ageing then there’s no wonder women are upset about getting older. It’s hard to think that you could describe me turning 30 as “deteriorating” or “growing feeble”. I hope I handle growing older with more grace than a tomato left out in the hot Oklahoma sun.

Growing old should be an adventure! I look at my husband’s 86 year old grandmother and think of the stories she could tell; the things she’s seen; and the people she’s met. I watch as she embraces her age and chooses to live her life rather than sit in a rocking chair waiting to die. Because of this attitude she will probably outlive us all.

People tell me, “30 is the new 20!” That's great, but I don’t want to be 20. I like being 30. I like looking at college age girls knowing I have more knowledge than them. I like being able to brag about my accomplishments and how far I’ve come; and, most importantly, where I’m going. I like having a steady job and extra money to splurge on something fun. I also like waking up on a Saturday morning and not feeling the results of the night before.

Some people find ageing as scary because they think it signifies the end of a fun, fancy-free youth filled with partying and late night trips to Whataburger and that they’re oh-so-much closer to death. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure I’ve probably experienced my last ‘all-nighter’ that doesn’t include feeding, burping and changing diapers. But I’m fine with that. Instead of spending Friday nights at a bar filled with smoke trying to yell over the music, I’ll hang out on my front porch drinking a glass of wine and actually getting to hold a conversation with the people I care about.

You see, when you get older the fun doesn’t end. The definition just changes a little.

This leads me to the second part of my 30BY30 challenge. I've challenged myself to EXPERIENCE 30 NEW THINGS BY THE TIME I TURN 30. It's a great time for me to break out of my comfort zone and start my 30s off right.

Some of the things I'm thinking about are:

• Go salsa dancing
• Ride a roller coaster
• See an NFL football game
• Learn to row in the Oklahoma river
• Play a round of golf
• Attend a real Hawaiian Luau
• Go to a rodeo
• Go to a pow wow

The last adventure I want to tackle is seeing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Which happens to fall on my 30th birthday this year!

So let the adventure begin! I'll be posting updates on my volunteer time and new adventures so you can follow along with me and keep me motivated to succeed.