30 Is the New...30!

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

In my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now I've conquered all my adolescent fears
And I'll do it better in my next thirty years*

I just turned thirty, and I couldn't be happier about what I've accomplished to this point or more excited about what is ahead of me!

Among the achievements I am most proud of in these first three decades are:

Graduating from the University of Florida
Taking a chance and moving to Austin on my own
Earning a Masters degree from the University of Texas
Buying a house
Working for the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Running the New York City Marathon
Raising thousands of dollars for charity
Being a loyal friend
Being a loving daughter, sister, and aunt (and mother to Bailey!)
Enjoying life to the fullest

Watch out world, this girl is just getting started!



*Please note that I left out the part of the song that mentions drinking 'not so many beers' as I refuse to make any guarantees in that department.

How to Entertain Yourself In the Sunshine State

Last week I took an impromptu trip to Orlando to visit with family and friends. I followed that up immediately with a long-planned trip to Jacksonville for the Florida/Georgia football game, which I hadn't been to in five years. That's a lot of Florida in one week, but I dare say I kept myself well entertained. Here are some sure fire ways to enjoy yourself the next time you are in the Sunshine State:

Play with your niece in a pumpkin patch







Celebrate a milestone birthday with your fabulous family







Drink beer from the mouth of a rubber alligator



Taunt Georgia fans





Tailgate!





Beat your rival in overtime

Learning to Let Go

I've never considered myself a Type A personality, but I'm finding lately that I don't do well with things that are completely out of my control. Surely I'm not the only one out there that feels this way, but the problem is amplified because I'm depending heavily on something outside of my control right now. I need to sell my house to make my goal of moving overseas a reality, but as hard as we're working to find a buyer, we still don't have a deal. I know - the economy sucks, the market is over-saturated with sellers, my master bedroom is on the second floor, old people don't like stairs, blah blah. I'm trying so hard to be patient, but this affects such a major part of my life at the moment that I am completely stressing out! I literally feel like I'm ready to jump into a beautiful body of water (the Pacific Ocean, perhaps?) and swim to a very happy place, but I'm unfortunately wearing a pair of cement shoes. Wow, that was deep, huh?

I guess I need to take a deep breath and try to enjoy the uncertainty and all that might bring. Plus, being 'stuck' in Austin, TX while things pan out isn't exactly a death sentence, is it? Case in point, while there was an open house today at my place, Bailey and I snuck out and enjoyed a couple of hours at beautiful Zilker Park in downtown Austin. And it was a magnificent day!



Self portrait



The house issue is also helping me to recognize other areas of my life that I need to try to let go of control over. Relationships with others, for instance. It feels like I've spent a lifetime trying to get people to feel a certain way about me... and let me tell you, I'm exhausted! I think I'll just sit back, relax and see what comes my way. Or at least line up that spot at the convent...

So if you need me in the near future, I'll be over here learning to let go. And hoping that things will work themselves out the way they are supposed to!