Milestone

So everyone keeps saying that I had a "milestone" birthday yesterday. I guess 30 is a milestone. In highschool, 30 meant "officially old". In the past few years I've learned that 30 is really the new 20. In many ways our generation is a little behind our parents on the growing up thing. In our parents generation it was not uncommon for a 30 year old to be celebrating 10 or 11 years of marriage and having kids getting ready to go to junior high. In my generation, if you have a kid going to junior high it means that you probably had a little "oops" in high school and are finally able to get out and go on a date since babysitting isn't that much of an issue anymore. My generation is the first to have the luxury of quarter-life crisis.

For those of you unaware of the term "quarter life crisis", here's a little explaination provided by quarterlifecrisis.com:

QLC FAQs• Q: What is a quarterlife crisis?• A: The quarterlife crisis, or QLC, is essentially a period of anxiety, uncertainty and inner turmoil that often accompanies the transition to adulthood.•

Q: Who coined the phrase "quarterlife crisis?"• A: Abby Wilner, co-author of Quarterlife Crisis and Quarterlifer's Companion, coined the phrase in 1997 after she graduated from college, moved back home, and couldn't figure out what to do with her life.•

Q: What makes the QLC unique for twentysomethings today? • A: Essentially, it is taking longer to become an adult today based on traditional markers such as financial independence and starting a family. The average American job hops 8 times before the age of 32, the average college graduate accrues $20,000 in education loan debt, and the average age to get married is now 27.

You have a quarter life crisis? You move in with your parents! note: not knocking moving in with your parents, I did it too, more than once.

I was lucky enough to have mine very early in my 20's. Necessity made me push through it and fake it as much as I could.

I've decided that milestone birthdays are scary for people who are full of regret for what they have done (or not done) in the years leading up to the milestone. I am happy to turn 30. I am fulfilled, satisfied, and overjoyed with the life that I have. I've had a relatively successful career, I'm able to stay home and take care of my beautiful 1.5 kids, I have a loving and purposeful marriage, good relationships with family, and so many good and faithful friends that my calendar is booked for the next 4 weeks. I'm not sure that life can get any better than that. Regrets? Sure, I have them. I am realistic, however, and know that 30 is indeed the new 20 and I can still accomplish those things. There is lots of time, and if there isn't, I know that I've done pretty well with the 30 years I've been given so far.