365 days of Thirty.

Today is my last day of 30.

Tomorrow morning, at 6:39 AM, I'll roll over, just as I always do on my birthday and whisper goodbye to one more year of my life. And then, at 6:40AM, I will call hello to the new one I am ushering in - the one that's all mine, to shape and do as I please.

It is my own New Year.

30? You were darn good to me. You flew by in a heartbeat, and I'm not quite sure exactly how I feel about that (can you not pass that little tip onto 31, please?) but other than that whirlwind pace at which you live I have zero complaints. You were a year that ushered in a new decade, a new blog, and a new way of looking at a lot of different things.

The other night a friend and I were talking about getting older. The best thing about it, we agreed, was that there's a turning point. At some point in your life, you just wake up feeling completely settled and comfortable in your own skin. Oh sure, you want to feel that way at 15, 21, 25...and maybe you do. But for me, 30 was the year. The year when I finally allowed myself to shake off the lingering ghosts of my past and move forward - chasing down dreams, adventures, and hopes - my way, on my own accord, all while marching to the beat of my own little drummer.

Which is just the way I like it.

31 will be different from 30, of course. It wouldn't make much sense for every year of our lives to be exactly the same anyhow. I'm excited to meet this new year, to see what she has in store for me. But 30? You will always have a very special spot in my heart. Thank you for 365 pretty amazing days.

Was I dirty and flirty at 30? You. Bet.
Will I start subtracting years tomorrow and tell people I'm turning 29? Heck no. Where would be the fun in that?