30 Years of.....well...ME!

Since the countdown to the end of my 20s began, I've had mixed feelings about turning 30.  After I turned 24, my birthday has quickly changed from an excuse to party, to an extremely emotional time for me.  And as cliche as it sounds, I've come to understand why women don't always embrace their birthdays as the years progress and there are more candles on the cake.

As the days inched closer to 30, I started thinking of 30 as more of a deadline.  Like a line in the sand for when I'd have to accomplish certain things.  As in "if you are going to do (insert ANYTHING here), do it by the time you are 30, because there is a huge difference in your 30s".  So I got a little paranoid, and maybe a little TOO ambitious as the big 3-0 crept closer.

But as I thought more about it....I realized that 30 is just a number and I have everything I could ever need RIGHT NOW.  I've accomplished everything in my 20s that I could have hoped for.  If I had told my teenage self that I would do everything I had done in the 10 years between 20 and 30, the lazy teenage version of myself would have been too exhausted to even try. 

I graduated college in a swift 4 years, even after losing an entire semester after transferring from UT to USC.  I left my cozy life in Orange County behind to take some risks in Los Angeles.  I climbed the corporate advertising ladder to grow from an ambitious little assistant media planner to a group director. I made completely new friendships while nurturing older friendships that I'd maintained all across the country. I made another bold move from sunny LA to the hustle and bustle of New York City (with out any winter wardrobe mind you). I traveled to countless new states and countries that I had never been to.  I've defeated not only P90X, but also Insanity...MULTIPLE TIMES.  I became a mommy to the most perfect fur baby you could ever know in the world.  But most importantly, I met, fell in love, and married the man of my dreams - hands down the highlight of my 20s.  So after reflecting on that a bit, there really isn't anything else I could ever want from my 20s.  If the next 10 years bring my even half of the excitement and surprises, then I'm THRILLED to be 30!  

Photo credit: Spice Vinci

Aside from the self reflection, it was an absolute pleasure to turn 30 because of every single person in my life.   My work friends started the birthday festivities with a TRUE surprise party.  It's virtually impossible to surprise me....I'm still shocked they pulled it off.  My amazing family kept the well wishes (and gifts) coming all through the week.  I received a barrage of cards, voicemails, and gifts in the mail from my girl friends.  And my husband (outside of the Griffindor robes I also received...a COMPLETELY appropriate gift for a 30-year-old) gave me the gift of shoes....lovely, shiny, black new...SHOES!  They.are.everything!  And just like we had for my birthdays in the past, the Mobleys booked yet another European vacation!  This time...it's GREECE!

If that wasn't enough, we jetted off to Key West the morning of my birthday with my parents and some of our favorite friends for an escape from the winter blues and to start off my 30s with some fun, sun and rum!  That's a blog for next time, but before we move on to that, thank you again to each and every one of you for an eventful final days of my 20s and a stellar kick off to my 30s.  I love you all & can't wait to see what the next 10 years has in store for me & I'm glad I have you all along for the ride!