Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy Birthday to Me

30. Wow. When I was 20, I imagined 30 very differently. I thought of 30 as old. Much older than I feel now. When I was a teenager I remember parents in their thirties as being very unhip, lacking style and out of touch. But those are not words I would use to describe the parents I know in their thirties now. At 30, I did not think people would still refer to me as the kid. I didn't think that I'd encounter situations where people doubted my capability or knowledge because I was so young. But then again I always thought I'd look 30 at 30, and that hasn't quite happened either (but that is not necessarily bad). At least I won't have to go on that Look 10 Years Younger show on TLC any time soon.

I thought that at 30, I would have 2 young kids, an amazing career, and a stay-at-home dad husband. But it took us longer than we expected to feel "ready" to have children. Then we put it off another couple of years so that I could get my master's degree. And then we spent the last year trying. Oh and the idea that Jeramy would be a stay at home dad was pure craziness. It turns out that construction workers can make as much or even more money than individuals with advanced college degrees. I do have a good career though. Amazing might be too extreme an adjective. But I've come to learn that I don't really want to be defined by my career, so perhaps this is less important to me now than it was even just a year ago.

It is just so interesting how our perspective changes so much with time. In so many ways life has gone exactly how I planned it. But then again in some ways it hasn't. But of course, if I've learned anything during my tenure as a 29 year-old it is that not everything in life goes as planned.

10 comments:

Barb said...

I just turned 30 recently too. Well spoken. And I also feel the same about my career. I LOVE my job and would have called it amazing at one point. But it's so much less important to me now and doesn't define me as much as it used to. I'm finally coming into my own and defining MYSELF.

Kathy V said...

Happy Birthday. Now we wait. Hopefully you get a nice bfp as a belated present.

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Mel said...

Life is what happens when you're making other plans!
It's the painful truth, right?
Congrats on the milestone birthday... it's a good place to be in life. :)

Jaime said...

Happy Birthday Jen!! I'm still trying to come out of the fog from your party :)

Anonymous said...

Happy BIrthday, Old Fart.

J/K, who am I to talk at 32. Maybe your Dirty 30's will hit before mine did. One of the great benefits.

KatieM said...

Happy Birthday!! Sheesh....with the whole u/s thing (oh yeah, and the drunk man) it slipped my mind.

jenn said...

Happy Belated birthday! I have the same exact problem- at 28 I am 'the kid'. The whole 'doubting your capacity or knowledge' - yup. that sucks!

The hardest thing is to look back at what you once thought a certain age would mean- it is never the same as what it ends up being. Not that that's a bad thing! Good luck with your 2ww!

Kelly said...

Happy Birthday Jen!! I'm 2 months away from my 30th bday too! I tell my hubby I'm like a fine wine...expensive as hell and just getting better and better!!!
Good luck with this cycle too:)

Katie said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I am sorry that I am a day late!

I am staring down the barrel of the big 3-0 and you are right: I feel younger than I thought I would at this point. I guess what they say is true, age IS relative.

I hope that your special day brought you the best, because you deserve it!!!!