Greetings Friends!
Welcome to my (minor) new writing project which will last from July 5th to August 3rd, the last 30 days before I turn 30 years old.
Why this? Two reasons, mostly. First, I'm tired of being told how to feel about this birthday. I'm not old, but I know a lot better than I did at 21. Everyone has an opinion on what I should do and know before I hit this age, but I want to enjoy the day, and feel this moment on my own terms. And second...I've had no interest in celebrating this birthday. It's not that I'm scared of 30, in fact, I'm really embracing it. The latter half of my 20s has been such a unmitigated shitshow test of personal limits and disappointments that I'm quite excited to jump into adulthood with open eyes and arms.
But....
I'm not pumped. And I love birthdays. When I was little, I used to start planning my birthday in May, right when school ended, much to my poor mother's dismay. I dreamed of parties, and cakes, movies, and swimming pools - all the silly things that get kids excited. And I've had some really amazing adult birthdays, from nights at the Royal Shakespeare Company, drunken messes on the Lower East Side, to Disneyland last year (Best. Ever. Disneyland is so much more magical at 29).
Many of my other close friends, most of whom have already hit this milestone, did something. A big party. A trip. I seriously considered that, but between time, finances, and my mood, I've come down to maybe parking at a bar for a few hours and inviting people to come and go as they please. Not really big or exciting. It just bugs me that I'm so lucky to have this birthday fall on a Saturday, that I should do something. Do something, Jame. Do anything.
So I'm back-burnering the thought of "what should I do for me?" and trying out "what can I share with you?" and the only thing I have to offer (besides cookies) are stories and maybe even some wisdom. (Ha. Doubtful.) It's going to be thinking about what I've learned, who and what has mattered, and what I'm looking forward to in the next chapter. I think I've lived a lot in 29 years and there's so much more to be had.
Thirty isn't the New 20.
It's not even the New Black.
Thirty is the New Alive.
Watch this space.
