I turn 30 tomorrow. I think I'm supposed to freak out or something based on that BuzzFeed "30 Signs You're Almost 30" post that went viral this week, but I'm pretty damn happy about 30.
The truth is this: My 20s were good to me. I lived in three different countries, managed to scoop up a degree or two along the journey, and held a mix of jobs that ranged from awesome to smh (to steal some slang from the younger generation). Most important of all, I learned that the daily battle really isn't a dramatic tug and pull between good and evil, but instead is often really nothing more than doing a little good vs. doing nothing at all. So I've fought like hell to avoid doing nothing and yes, I've made some mistakes along the way.
I leaned in, and life met me halfway and we tangoed, sometimes beautifully, often times like I had two left feet. But oh how we danced, how we cried, and how we laughed together. I met the world with all that was me, both the good and the bad, and that vulnerability allowed me to realize what I think we all deep down know to be true about ourselves all along: The light in me was so much better (and stronger) than the darkness. Life these last 10 years has had some incredible ups and some awful downs, but for the most part I have primarily lived in between those extremes, and for that I can say I feel incredibly blessed.
Nice as my 20s were, I think my 30s look even more spectacular. I'm marrying an awesome woman in a matter of days (you rock Laura). I'll hopefully have children in the years to come who will teach me the meaning of the word love in ways I never knew existed. And I think, most important of all, I still hold on dearly to that insatiable curiosity that leads me beyond my own borders and limits. Simply put, I'm still foolish enough to believe the world is ours to craft, improve, and shake up. To those that stand on the edge of a new decade of life, whatever your age, I hope the takeaway is the same: Be curious, tango, avoid doing nothing, do good where you can, and most of all, make it count.
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