Smile and Wave!

So here I am! A thirty-something, first time blogger!

I guess I decided to embark on this journey for a couple reasons. First of all, I always have a lot to say. I have been called a "chatter-box" just a FEW times in my life. Secondly, I have a whole lot of creativity and inspiration bottled up inside of me, along with some great stories to share. Blogging caters to both my love for writing and my (yes I'm gonna say it) addiction to the internet. C'mon, doesn't everyone these days have some form of internet addiction? The first step to getting over any addiction is admitting it, so don't worry I'm on the right path.

Even more so, I guess you could say I'm bored with the mundane routine tasks that are taking over my life. I'm your typical 31-year-old woman. I'm married, a full time working mother, college graduate, homemaker, taxi driver, wound kisser, etc. I desperately need a creative outlet. I need a hobby. I need to vent even when nobody is listening. I need to relate to other people in my same situation.

Just like many other 30ish-year-olds, I'm hanging onto my 20-year-old mind with an extremely tight grip. After all, 30 is the new 20...at least that's what I keep telling myself! Now that I've lived in "thirtyhood" for just over a year, I've noticed some things that I feel are worth mentioning. So what better time than now to share my thoughts with the world.

The most noticeable aspect of turning 30 is that people instantly treated me differently. From the moment I tell someone that I reached the monumental "BIG 3-0," I'm either treated as if I'm old as dirt, or treated as if I'm still wearing Pampers. Why is this? It doesn't matter if the other person is just a few years older or younger either. The younger people look at me like I'm an uncool, repulsive, mom jean-wearing freak of nature. (Side note: I do not, and will not, own a pair of mom jeans. EVER!). On the other hand, the not-so-much-older folks (I'm not talking about the elderly here), treat me as if I just learned my ABC's yesterday! These are the people that want to share their life lessons with me in one conversation as if I seriously have no clue. This can be amusing at times I must admit.

Another thing I've noticed about being in the land of the 30-somethings, is that things are expected of me now. Almost like I was supposed to make ALL my mistakes in my 20's, and now that I'm 30...Bam! I'm perfect! Well guess what? I'm soooo not perfect!! I'm supposed to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect employee, the perfect homemaker, etc. Well obviously nobody is perfect, so I must resort to faking it. Faking perfection can be extremely exhausting. I often refer to this as the "beauty queen smile and wave routine." This is when you are out in public and you look like you have it all put together. You are smiling and waving and oh so happy!... but inside you feel like you're ready to run for the hills at any moment and only save yourself! What's funny is that I can see this routine being played out from a mile away. Most 30-something women know exactly what I'm talking about.

Don't get me wrong, so far my adventure into "thirtyhood" has been pretty amazing. I was recently told I don't look a day over 21 (I totally blushed!). Being 30 has it's perks too. I finally feel like I can do what I want, when I want, and how I want. If I want to travel, I'm going to travel. If I want to change careers, I certainly will. If I want to embark on a new blogging adventure, I'm going to do it...TODAY! No more hesitation, no more waiting, and mostly no more approval needed from anyone but myself! With turning 30 comes independence, inspiration, and new perspectives. Sometimes these new found outlooks on life can be quite confusing and frustrating, but I'm ready to hash this stuff out. I sometimes feel like a kid trapped in an adults body, which is maybe why some people treat me like an old fart while others treat me like a child. Hmmm...

Well I guess this brings me to the end of my first blog. Does this mean that my blog-cherry has been popped!?! For those of you who are reading this...thanks for being my first... I hope it was as good for you as it was for me!!! Till next time...