I turned 30....

I turned 30 last week. I can't tell you how many people asked me how I felt about turning 30, was I sad? Was I scared? And it really got me thinking... was I sad? --- why would I be sad about a birthday? A birthday means I'm still alive. I mean plan and simple, I'm still around, living, enjoying life with my husband and kids, and drinking diet coke. So no, I'm not sad to be turning 30.
Was I scared? --- there's not really much I'm scared of. Talking in front of large crowds. Heights. Losing my children or something/someone hurting my kids. But scared of turning 30, nope can't say that I am. Besides, even if I was scared to turn 30, there's not really much I could do to stop myself...

I've decided instead to embrace 30. I've officially been around for 30 years. I've been an adult for 12 years now. I've been married almost 7 years. I've been a mom for 3 years. I can definitely say that I'm a different person then I was at the beginning of each of those stages and I'm excited to see what the next stages of my life bring.

To celebrate being 30 I've created a bucket list of 30 things I want to do in my life.

1. Spend more time with my husband. Brad & I have been together since we were 15. That's 15 years of life together. He's my best friend and the first person I think to call when something good happens, bad happens, when something annoys me or when I think something is hilarious. He's the first person I think of each morning (normally because he's snoring super loud, but that's a different thought...). I love date nights with him.
2. Go to Europe. This is a big one. I LOVE to travel. I love packing, going on trips, enjoying a new atmosphere and learning a new cultures.
3. Take my kids somewhere new every year. I want my children to be able to have travel experiences. I want to be able to go places and make memories with them. The somewhere new doesn't have to be a "Big" somewhere new.. maybe just a weekend trip to a city we've never been to before or a close state we've never been to.
4. Learn a foreign language. I remember enough Spanish to barely have a conversation or understand what someone is saying. I would like to learn a language and be fluent. 
5. Learn to surf. The thought of me surfing is hilarious but I think it would be amazing. 
6. Learn to ballroom dance. 
7. Ride an elephant. 
8. Go to all the Disney parks. So far I've been to 3 (Disneyland, DisneyParis, and DisneyWorld) so I have Hong Kong and Tokyo. 
9. Go to Australia
10. Go to Asia. 
11. Go on safari in Africa.
12. Camp on the beach.
13. Travel to all 50 states and stay at least 1 day. (traveling to the state via airport only doesn't count)
14. Go whale watching
15. Complete RAGBRAI- I've already done this but I missed a day of the race so I would like to do it again and complete all of the days.
16. Go to a Blackhawks Hockey game.
17. Eat a meal cooked by a celebrity chef.
18. Visit all 7 continents. 
19. Airboat in alligator waters
20. Make my own wine. 
21. Go to the Holy land and visit the sites from the Bible.
22. Read the Bible cover to cover.
23. See my children get married.
24. Jump off a waterfall.
25. Drive through the tunnel trees in California.
26. Visit all of the National Parks
27. Walk/Run a 5K every year
28. Go to a vodka distillery. 
29. Go to the Ice bars. 
30. Go to the ballet.

My bucket list is really about traveling and making the most of my experiences with Brad and the kids. I think the biggest thing I can teach my children is that there are other people in the world and it's important to be kind and accepting of everyone. I want my children to have experiences and make memories. 

I think lately I've been realizing that people change, people grow and it's okay to not always agree with someone. I can't control everything; I can simply control myself and my reactions to the people around me. 

I'm embracing 30--- I'm going to build relationships with the people that are important and want to build relationships with me; I'm going to not stress about things I can't control; I'm going to grow closer to God; I'm going to be happy in my own skin and love myself.

Here's to 30-- may it be one amazing year.


                                                          Xo, Tiffany