As the countdown to my 30th birthday quickly ticks down, it occurs to me I just might want to start acting like an adult, however difficult this may be for me to accept. I still collect bobble-head toys and geek-out to Star Wars Lego on the Play Station. I still love to engage in snowball fights and laser tag. But I also have bills, deadlines and in-laws who I don’t always see eye-to-eye with.
I will be the first to admit that I may be a late bloomer in life, having spent my 20s working odd jobs, spending too much on material goods and partying with friends – it didn’t seem all that important for me to plan for the future. But I began to realize that I wanted more for my life. Now as I stand facing that terrifying number, that to me represents adulthood, I find myself filled with thrilling anticipation and paralyzing fear.
I can handle the grey hairs that are coming on more rapidly these last few years. I can tolerate the lines that are slowly appearing on my formerly smooth face. I can even begrudgingly accept the extra weight that wasn’t there before and just doesn’t want to come off. It’s the daunting “things to do before I’m 30” list that is getting me worked up.
When I was younger and pictured my life at 30, it didn’t exactly look like what it is now. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life and am very happy, but I figured I’d have much more figured out than I do in reality. I thought I’d have the big house with nice furnishings, the adoring husband who I’m embarrassed to admit I thought would have deep pockets, a good chunk of money in the bank and maybe a kid or two. In reality, I have a basement suite with decent furniture, a goofy and extremely loveable fiancée who is generous but certainly not swimming in cash, a massive student loan and a dog.
I’m certainly not complaining about my life but I’m just not as far along on that list as I thought I’d be. And now all of a sudden adult life is coming at me hard and fast.
In the next 12 months I will have graduated university, bought my first home and gotten married. Just thinking about all the planning, budgeting and life changes I will experience is giving me heart palpitations. The excitement and fear of responsibility mixes inside me to be a giant ball of over stimulation that wakes me up almost nightly.
Step one on this list of things to do is to get the dream job, which is what brings me here to The Rocky View Weekly. I love being a reporter and spent a good part of my university career writing about the people that make Calgary a community. I am excited to bring my focus to Rocky View County and get to know what makes this community a special place.
I have six nieces and one nephew all under 11 years old and I mentor a 12-year-old boy.
This means I’m lucky enough to hear a lot from kids and parents about things that affect them and am keen to share these things with you. I have a soft spot for people who give back with their time, money or services and truly feel it’s this generosity that builds community.
Step two on my list is most definitely one of the scariest and the most expensive – buying a house. I can picture it clearly in my mind and have taken steps to make it a reality. Now if only my fiancée and I could agree on a location.
As for the wedding, I have finally convinced my man to elope in Las Vegas. Fingers crossed that he will agree to have an Elvis impersonator marry us because the chapel I’ve been looking at gives the groom Elvis sunglasses when “The King” does the ceremony.
Now that I think about it, this to do list seems a little less scary.
I might even venture to say I have a plan that quite possibly could come together. So at 2:49 a.m., I think I can finally go back to bed and sleep. I will never be the person I pictured when I was younger but my life experiences have brought me be to someone I like and that is pretty darn good in my books. Bring it on 30.
