Monday is my birthday– I’ll be 31. Not really a big landmark birthday, like last year, but now, you know, I’m in my thirties.
Last night my husband surprised me with dinner at Sotto Sopra, a restaurant I have longed wanted to try. It was lovely, everything I had hoped for, and I’m looking forward to going again for their opera nights– six courses of Italian food with live opera sung in the restaurant for you. Today I’m seeing my mother and finally seeing Julie and Julia with a dear friend. I’ve been reading and thinking about it for so long I feel like it’s been out forever! This week I go back to school, and while I’ve had three anxiety dreams so far, I’m also looking forward to meeting students, getting my room into shape and moving closer to the year– traditionally I feel much less anxious once the year is underway.
It’s funny for me this year also– traditionally, you hear a lot of (perhaps trumped up) discourse about women who turn 30 and are distraught that they are still unmarried or haven’t had kids yet. For me, since I am 31, married with seven-year-old twins, I’ve felt much more concerned about my career– somehow, being 30 years old and never having had a full-time job was very strange to me. 30 seems like the gateway to adulthood, and part of adulthood, for me, was having a career. I liked most of the part-time jobs I’ve had, but there’s a real satisfaction for me in having a full-time job, and especially the full-time job I’ve got. I feel confident about my ability to excel in this job, and I feel welcomed into a true community at my school.
Last year, I remember feeling very happy with where my life had ended up by my thirtieth birthday, and now that I’m edging into my thirties, I feel great about how this decade has started so far.
Happy, happy birthday to you! I think you’ve done SO much your first 31 years. You’ve got lots to be proud of. Best of luck with the full time job!
Anjali, what lovely compliments– thank you so much, my dear!
Happy birthday! How nice to have a birthday right before the start of school — both markers of a “new year” far more than Jan. 1 ever seems to me. Best of luck in the new school year.
Thank you! When I was a kid, I always knew that my birthday meant the end of summer, and now that I’m a teacher, I start itching for the school year to start!
And yes– I always think of years as academic years, not calendar ones. Best of luck to you as well!
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a wonderful day today.
Happy Birthday!!!
Thank you so much! It ended up being a busy day but a relaxing evening, the perfect combination.
Happy 31st! I hope I am as happy with my career at age 30. Having just graduated at age 27 and now being 28 and not able to find a job in my chosen field (and I am applying outside the box as well) I’m very disgruntled with life these days.
I do feel the same blessings of family you do. It’s just hard to focus on that.
Lauren, it’s funny– I’ve been formulating a piece in my head for awhile about how hard it is for me to keep those blessings in mind instead of focusing solely on what I don’t (yet) have. It’s easy to be envious and disgruntled (for me, at least) and can be harder to keep focused on happiness.
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