Six More Months ’till 30

Today marks exactly six months until I turn the big 3-0.

Surprisingly, I’m not TOO freaked out about the notion of only having six months left of my twenties. My husband and most of my friends are already in their thirties, so to be honest, I kind of feel left out!

Another reason why I’m not too sad about leaving my twenties is because I feel like I’ve accomplished the majority of things I wanted to do during this time: I graduated from college, I lived in another country for a year, I traveled a lot (both locally and internationally), I got married, and I even ran a half marathon. My twenties weren’t perfect; there were some low points in there and some things I would change. But for the most part, I’m happy with how I spent the majority of my twenties and everything I accomplished in this time.

My twenties aren’t over yet, though. I have six more months to accomplish a few more big goals of mine. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably already have a good idea of what these goals are, buuuuut let’s recap anyway:

Get a Big Kid Job

I’ve been looking for a Big Kid Job (full-time, salaried job with benefits) since I moved home from South Korea in March of 2012, but it’s been a lot harder than one would think. Not only is the job market extremely competitive right now thanks to the economy, but I changed my career path from teaching to non-profit work, so I had to start over from scratch when it came to gaining relevent work experience. Thanks to all the volunteer, intern, and temp work I’ve been doing for the last 2 1/2 years, I have a lot more non-profit experience now, but I have yet to find a Big Kid Job in the non-profit sector. I just had a phone interview for a non-profit BKJ yesterday, so hopefully I get an in-person interview, and then the job itself. It would be amazing to go from working two part-time jobs to one full-time job and FINALLY start my career.

Improve My Finances

At the beginning of 2014, I was unemployed with over $27,000 in debt and no money in my savings. I’m happy to say that, a year later, my financial situation is in better shape, but it’s still a work in progress: I still have debt to payoff and more money to save. I’d like to have all of my credit cards paid off and $3,000 in my savings account by the time I turn 30, which may or may not be doable depending on how disciplined I am with my spending in the next 6 months. (My spending habit is also a work in progress.)

Get In Shape

I’m about 20 pounds overweight, and I have been for the last 2-3 years. I have STRUGGLED to get back down to my normal, healthy weight on and off again since I gained the weight in the first place, but no matter how much I exercise and how much weight I lose, I always gain it back thanks to my less-than-stellar eating habits. However, I’ve recently gained new motivation for getting in shape: Chris and I decided we are going to “start trying” this time next year. You know, GET PREGNANT. While I’m excited about the idea of me getting pregnant and us starting a family, I’m also terrified of how my body will change during this process A.K.A all the weight I will gain! I can’t imagine already being 20 pounds overweight now, and then gaining another 20-40 pounds from growing a baby in my stomach. I don’t want to imagine it, and I most certainly don’t want this image to become a reality; therefore, I need to start getting serious about losing weight this next year. I know it might sound silly trying to lose weight before getting pregnant, but I don’t care. I need to start this process now before it gets even harder to lose weight post-labor. So bring on the yoga, running, and healthy eating because I have 20 pounds to lose, and I’d like to lose it by the time I turn 30.

I think I may have my work cut out for me. Three big life goals to achieve in 6 months! It won’t be the end of the world if I don’t accomplish these things by then, but it would make entering my thirties exponentially better if I do. I think the fact that Chris and I want to start trying in a year will really help me focus on these goals. We’ve always known we want to start a family someday, but now that we have a specific time frame in mind, I’m realizing I need to kick my ass into gear when it comes to starting my career, improving my finances, and getting healthy. My future depends on it!

What are some goals you want to accomplish before you turn 30? What was one of the biggest accomplishments of your twenties?

The Internet is Giving Me Baby Fever

Do you ever skim through your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed and get jealous of what other people are posting? Do you ever think to yourself, “I want that in my own life”?

Yeah, me too.

In case you haven’t figured it out from the title of this blog post, I have baby fever, and I blame the internet. More specifically, I blame social media: everyone is having babies and posting about it non-stop all over their various social media platforms. They’re posting sonogram photos, baby bump photos, newborn baby photos, and adorable infant/toddler photos. They’re posting happy little photos of their happy little families. And you know what? Seeing all of this on a daily basis is making me want to get pregnant and have a baby, too, because all these photos I keep seeing make being pregnant/having a baby look so exciting; therefore, I find myself wanting to experience that excitment, also. I’m constantly thinking, “I want that in my own life.”

And not only that, I’m becoming green with envy because, yeah I want a baby, but I’m not in a position to have one right now. Chris and I promised each other that we would be smart about when we decided to start a family: we will have traveled more, paid down almost all our debt, and have a good chunk of money saved. We’ll have career jobs and we’ll live in a house. Since all of that is still in progress for us, having a baby is currently on the backburner. So when I see that so-and-so is pregnant with her first, second, or even third child, I get jealous because that means she and her husband must be in a good financial state if they’re having a baby, whereas Chris and I are not there yet.

As lame as it feels to be jealous of my FB friends and even a few complete strangers, I still think it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. I mean, afterall, people only post the GOOD stuff happening in their lives on social media, right? New jobs, new houses, new cars. Perfect marriages and perfect relationships. Fun social plans and exciting vacations. Fancy dinners at expensive restaurants and delicious homecooked meals. Pregnancy announcements and cute newborn babies. How could anyone NOT be jealous after seeing all of the above in their social media feeds?

The thing is, nobody ever posts any of the bad stuff happening in their lives. Shitty jobs. Breakups. A lonely Friday night. A failed cooking attempt. As for the negative baby-related stuff, I bet it would look something like this:

• Waking up in the middle of the night to feed a crying baby
• Spending tons of money on diapers
• Morning sickness or weight gain
• Baby meltdowns in the middle of the grocery store
• Non-stop diaper “Poopsplosions” and baby vomit

We are always in such a hurry to post the good things in our lives on social media for all the world to see and marvel at, yet we never post the bad. THIS is something I need to keep in mind whenever I’m feeling bouts of baby fever and jealousy. Yes, everyone else is having babies, but I’m the one who is getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. I’m the one who is traveling to New York in September. I’m the one doing whatever I want, whenever I want in life because I still have that freedom.

The internet has been giving me baby fever, but I’m not going to let it bring me down. Instead, I’m going to appreciate and take advantage of my freedom while I still have it. I’m going to keep in mind that my time will come to have a baby, but for now, I should focus on training for my half marathon, planning my trip to New York, working on my career, and enjoying the rest of my 20’s.

Does social media ever spark jealousy inside you? If so, what is it that you want in your own life?

———————————————————————————————————————————–

I’m training to run a half marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to raise life-saving funds to help those fighting blood cancers. Please help! You can donate to my event at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sac/nikesf14/gmclaughlin

#Ginaturns29

When I started planning my birthday celebration a month ago, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do; all I knew was that I wasn’t excited to be turning 29, so I wanted to do something really awesome in order to make turning that dreaded age a bit more bearable. Normally, I like going out of town for my birthday because I love to travel, and a birthday is a good excuse to plan a weekend trip somewhere. However, since Chris and I are saving money to go to New York in September, that idea was out. Instead, I decided to do a staycation for my birthday: I would request Memorial Day weekend off from work (Fri-Mon) and plan a bunch of fun/relaxing things to do. Essentially, a vacation without the travel/hotel expenses. Here’s a recap of how I celebrated:

Friday Night: Dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Chris was very generous and treated me to two fancy birthday dinners, the first one being at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. We ordered a four-course dinner complete with lobster mac n’ cheese, ribeye, and sweet potato casserole. Oh, and let’s not forget the birthday dessert: bread pudding. We feasted and were so stuffed afterward. I barely ate anything all day Friday and was STILL super stuffed by the end of dinner. It was a delicious dinner, though, and a great way to start my birthday weekend.

Saturday: Spa Day/Dinner at Ella Dining Room and Bar

One thing I knew I really wanted to do for my birthday was get pampered, so I scheduled a bunch of beauty appointments for Saturday afternoon. I genuinely needed to get my hair cut and colored, so I scheduled a hair appointment. I consider pedicures and facials to be luxuries that I’ll only treat myself to for special occasions, and since you only turn 29 once, I went ahead and booked myself a pedicure and facial, too.

By the time I was done with my afternoon of pampering, I was feeling ready for another night on the town, so I got dressed up and Chris took me out for birthday dinner number 2 at Ella Dining Room and Bar. I had always wanted to dine at Ella, so we figured my birthday would be the perfect excuse to do so. We weren’t disappointed, either. The food was fabulous!

Sunday: Afternoon Picnic with Friends/Dinner with Family

Chris and I got together with some of my close girlfriends and their men for a potluck picnic in McKinley Park. It was a super hot day in Sac, but luckily, we were able to hide under a shady tree while enjoying some sangria, hot dogs, and good conversation!

In the evening, Chris and I headed over to my dad’s house for a birthday celebration for me and my younger sister whose birthday is two days after mine. My dad cooked up a yummy dinner for us all consisting of hot dogs, corn on the cob, and grilled chicken. We ended the night with gifts and a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins– my fave and a family tradition!

Monday: Shopping, Swimming, and Dinner at My MIL’s House

Since I received some birthday money from my dad, and there were some major Memorial Day sales happening at the mall, I decided to start out my actual birthday with some new clothes from The Limited. In the afternoon, Chris and I went swimming so we could escape the Sacramento heat for a bit. In the evening, we headed to his mom’s house where she hosted a birthday dinner for me. Not only did she cook dinner for me, but she made me a birthday dessert and decorated the house with birthday decorations. My mother-in-law is the best!

I have to admit, my birthday weekend was pretty amazing considering I didn’t travel anywhere like I usually do: I got to eat delicious food, get pampered, go shopping, and spend time with my loved ones. I felt very happy, loved, and celebrated throughout the weekend, which makes me think that 29 is not so bad after all. In fact, it’s off to a great start! I’m looking forward to making the last year of my twenties one to remember.

How was your Memorial Day Weekend?

 What’s your favorite birthday memory?

What Makes Me Feel Like an Adult… And What Doesn’t (Part 2)

PSA: Hello, friends! Sorry for being completely MIA last week. I didn’t mean to not blog at all; it just happened because I’ve been busy working 50 hours work weeks and trying to balance my personal life. Oh, not to mention that May always seems to be a super busy month for me: birthdays, Mother’s Day, and just lots of stuff going on. I plan to get back to my regularly scheduled blogging program this week. 

I was thinking about what to blog about today, and thought about a post I wrote about a year ago: What Makes Me Feel Like a Real Adult… And What Doesn’t. I thought about this post because I’m going to be 29 in two weeks (!!!), which of course, is making me think about my current state of adulthood more and more. So, I thought it would be kind of fun to update all the things that make me feel like a real adult, as well as the ones that don’t, and see how far I’ve come in the last year!

What Makes Me Feel Like an Adult

• I’m much better about keeping track of my finances. My finances are still a work in progress, but I’ve definitely come a long way since this time last year: I’m paying off my debt, building my emergency fund, and I even have a 401K now.
• I have health insurance. All thanks to my husband’s job. And thanks to our insurance, I can finally afford to get my wisdom teeth taken out next month. (Eeek!)
• I’ve been thinking about having kids a lot. The fact that I’ve been thinking about this more makes me feel like I might be getting closer to being ready for that stage of my life, at least mentally/emotionally. Like I’ve mentioned before, Chris and I aren’t ready to have kids financially.
• My taste is evolving. From everything to where I buy my clothes to what brand of liquor I choose to drink, my taste is getting more and more… expensive. Gone are the days when I shop at Target and Old Navy for clothes; now I find myself prefering The Limited and Express. Why? Quality over quantity. I’d rather pay more for clothes that are going to last me a long time, rather than pay for clothes that are going to fall apart in a couple months. As for choosing more expensive alcohol, I just can’t drink the cheap stuff anymore without getting a headache before the night is over. No more well gin and tonics for me.
• I’m getting ready to live in a house and own a dog. Chris and I are making plans to rent a house when our aparement lease is up in November. Once we have more living space, we want to get a dog. Living in a house and owning a pet = lots of new reponsibilty!

What Doesn’t Make Me Feel Like an Adult

• I don’t have a full-time, salary job. Instead, I have two part-time, hourly jobs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely working 50 hours a week and making the equivalent of a full-time salary between the two, but it’s just not the same as having one full-time job with benefits. Hopefully I can get one of those before I turn 30.
• I suck at keeping up with certain household chores. Vacuuming. Mopping. Cleaning the bathroom. These are some examples of chores I should be doing at least weekly, but sometimes fail to do on a regular basis. I know it sounds gross, but my excuse is that I’m a working woman.
• My Finances. Even though I’m doing much better with my finances these days, I still wish they were better. I wish I had more in my savings and retirement accounts. I wish I wasn’t in debt. I wish my credit score was higher. I wish my financial situation was better overall.

What makes you feel like a real adult? What doesn’t?

Why I’m Waiting to Have Kids

Meeting a friend’s newborn baby for the first time

Babies. They’re everywhere.

There are sonograms all over Facebook announcing high school friends’ first, second, or even third baby on the way. There are blog posts showing the weekly progress of a blogger’s rapidly growing baby bump. And don’t even get me started on all the adorable little newborn, infant, and toddler faces all up in my Instagram feed.

Now that I am in my late twenties, it seems like half the people I know either have a bun in the oven, or have at least one kid. I’m telling you, babies really are everywhere these days, and so is the pressure to have one! Chris and I are constantly asked by friends, acquaintances, and even strangers “So, when are you two going to start having kids?” Oh, and let’s not forget about the pressure Chris and I get whenever we visit our parents; it seems like ever since we hit the one year wedding anniversary mark, their hints requests desperate pleas for grandchildren have significantly increased. I mean, it’s nice to know that our friends and family want us to procreate, but there is good reason why we’re waiting. Here’s why:

1) I’m unemployed – This one is kind of a no-brainer. In my mind, it takes two to provide. Sure, Chris has a job with a decent salary, so I could just be a stay-at-home mom, right? Nah, that’s not my style. I don’t even want to THINK about having kids until I have a job and can help provide for our future family.

2) I want to get all of my debt paid off first – I’ve recently developed a new big goal to accomplish, and that is to pay off all or most of my debt by the time I turn 30 years old in May 2015. (I plan to blog about this more in-depth in a later post.) Why 30? Because that’s the age I plan to seriously consider starting a family. Kids are expensive, so trying to start a family with a huge chunk of debt sounds like a recipe for lots of financial stress down the road.

3) Chris and I want to travel more – New York. Germany. Ireland. Mexico. These are all big trips we want to take, and hopefully sooner rather than later. I doubt we’ll get all four done by the time we start a family, but I’d like for us to at least check off New York and Mexico!

4) I can’t even keep a plant alive – Either I have no green thumb or I need some serious practice when it comes to taking care of a living thing. My guess is the latter. Chris and I plan to get a dog early next year, so hopefully that will help us get in the practice of taking care of something together.

5) We still want time for just the two of us – Chris and I weren’t together for very long before we got married: we did international long-distance for a year, got engaged, then got married seven months later. As of right now, we’ve barely been together for three years total. I would love another two years of just me and him before we bring some little ones into the picture.

Sure, whenever I see a Facebook friend’s sonogram, an expecting blogger’s baby bumb, or an Instagram pic of a ridiculously cute toddler, part of me gets excited for Chris and I to experience all of that someday. But for now, we’re going to keep waiting and doing what we’re doing, because while we do eventually want to do parenthood, we want to do it right and in the way that’s best for us.

Do you want to have kids someday? If so, why are you waiting?

What Makes Me Feel Like a Real Adult… And What Doesn’t

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where I’m at in my adulthood. The reason for this is because I’ll be 28 in less than three weeks, which means…

…DUN, DUN, DUUUUUN…

…I’ll only be two years away from turning 30.

They say your 20’s are when you learn to become an adult, and your 30’s are for actually, you know, being an adult. My realization of the fact that I only have two years left of my 20’s has me thinking, “Am I as mature as I should be in my late 20’s? Am I ready for my 30’s? Am I well on my way to becoming a REAL adult?”

I’ll admit that I’m afraid of turning 30 in only a couple years, because sometimes I feel like I’m ready for it, and sometimes I don’t. It’s the same kind of fear I got as a kid when my dad kept threatening to take the training wheels off my bike: “I want to be a big kid and ride a big kid bike, I really do. But I just need a more time to get it right.” I’ve been in my twenties for so long and have learned so much, yet I still feel like I need more time– more than just two years. Below I’ve listed a few things I’ve done or learned in my 20’s that make me feel like a real adult who is ready for the big 3-0, and a few things I still feel like I need time to work on:

What Makes Me Feel Like an Adult

• I’m married. There’s nothing like committing yourself to someone for the rest of your life to expedite the growing up process.  
• I pay my bills on time. I was bad about this in college. The lesson I learned? Not paying your bills on time equals late fees which equals more money out of my wallet. Now I know better, and knowing is half the battle.
• Most nights, I’d rather stay in than go out. I can definitely say that I’ve reached the age where I prefer drinking a glass of $10 Pinot Noir from Trader Joe’s in the comfort of my own home and being in bed by 10pm, rather than spending $50 on tequila shots at a loud, crowded bar until 2am and nursing a hangover the next morning. For example, on St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, I hosted family dinners instead of going out to partake in the drinking festivities. If that doesn’t scream “ADULTHOOD,” I don’t know what does.
• I can cook. In college, the only thing I knew how to cook was scrambled eggs and spaghetti. Now I can confidently say I can whip up a variety of dishes and meal plan like a boss. So happy I’ve finally acquired this basic life skill.
• I just got a full-time 9-5 job. Finally, I’ll have a real work schedule again! No more working late nights that interfere with my 10pm bedtime.
• My love and appreciation for wine. I think many people can say wine is a mature, grown-up drink (unlike, say, Smirnoff Vodka). So the fact that I enjoy drinking wine, have a strong knowledge of different wine varietals, and own a fancy wine rack with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot on it makes me feel mature and grown-up.

What Doesn’t Make Me Feel Like an Adult

• My finances. I have money in my personal savings account, but it’s not as much as I’d like. And don’t even get me started on my credit cards…
• I don’t have health insurance. Unfortunately, Chris and I don’t have health insurance right now because I’m working in a restaurant and he’s working a temp job (and soon, I’ll be working a temp job, too). Chris just interviewed for a permanent position with the company he’s temping for, so if he gets it, we’ll both have health insurance again. Fingers crossed!
• I’m still working on getting my career going. My new job is going to be a great start towards gaining professional work experience and starting my career, but I still have a ways to go before I can actually say I’m a full-fledged career woman.

After compiling these lists and doing a little soul-searching, I think the answer to the aforementioned questions are: no, no, and yes.  I’m not quite as mature as I should be in my late 20’s and I’m not ready for my 30’s, but I’m sure as hell working on it. I think if I keep putting work into starting my career (like I have been), within the next couple years I’ll have a permanent full-time job, which means I’ll have health benefits and I’ll be making more money to put in my savings/pay down my credit card debt. And then? Then I’ll feel ready for 30.

What makes you feel like a real adult? What doesn’t?

I Bought a Car!

I did it! One of my 2013 goals is complete: I bought a car!

I became car-less after I sold my 2005 Toyota Corolla to my little sister and moved to South Korea to teach English. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone (One year? Two years?), which is why I decided to sell my car instead of keep it in storage and keep making payments on it.

Turns out, one year in Korea was enough for me, so I came home. I could have bought a car right when I moved back, but Chris wasn’t working at the time, so we just decided to share a car until he found a job. Seven months later, he finally found a job! However, I was super broke from supporting us for so long and in no position to buy a car at the moment, so we decided we would make the sharing-a-car-thing work as long as we could so I could save money.

We’d been sharing a car and making it work since October: he’d drop me off at my internship in the mornings on his way to work, and the days I didn’t have to be at work until the afternoon, I’d take the bus or lightrail. Chris would always pick me up from work at night, and the few times I needed the car during the day, I would drop him off/pick him up from his work. Then we discovered Chris’ work hours were going to change this week to 6:30am-3:30pm! After finding this out, Chris and I realized we weren’t going to be able to share a vehicle anymore and I would finally have to bite the bullet and buy my own car.

I wasn’t excited about having car payments again, but soon I began getting excited at the thought of having my own set of wheels. I wouldn’t have to use public transportation anymore! I wouldn’t have to rely on people for rides anymore! I could go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted! After pumping myself up and saving my pennies, I was finally ready to buy myself a car.

A couple days ago, I bought a used 2011 Toyota Corolla. I decided to stick with a Toyota Corolla because they’re reliable cars and they’re good on gas. I got lucky with the one I found because it was a great price for the year and the amount of miles on it. And not to mention it looks brand new!

I’m so happy I to have a car again. No more relying on Chris to chauffeur me around anymore. No more having to use Sacramento’s inefficient public transportation system. No more walking from my internship to my job in the cold and rain. I’m a mobile-y independent woman again! And it feels damn good.

Baby Fever

Is it just me, or are there pictures of cute babies ALL OVER FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM?

Now, I’m not complaining. All of these pictures of babies eating, sleeping, playing, making funny faces, and dressed in panda bear onesies are damn cute. My only complaint is that because I’m seeing all of these baby pictures on a daily basis, I’ve developed a case of baby fever. And it’s getting bad.

I’ve always wanted kids. In fact, when I was 21, I wanted to be married and getting ready to start a family of eight! Thankfully, some sense was knocked into me and I changed my Future Number of Kids from six to four. Then there was a short period of time when I didn’t want kids because I went through a bad dating streak and figured there were no more decent men in the world to conceive with. Then I met Chris and that mentality changed fast: The guy is an amazing uncle to his two little nieces, which tells me he’ll be an even better dad someday. So why wouldn’t I want him to be my baby daddy?

Sometimes I wonder how I would react if I were to miss my period next week. Would I stress out? FREAK OUT? Cry because I’m about to gain 40 pounds? Or would I be secretly happy that I’m finally about to have a little one of my own with the man I love more than anything?

I think if it came down to it, I would be happy and excited. At first.

But once all of the happy, excited feelings subsided and reality started to set in, I would start to freak out a little bit. Chris and I aren’t married yet, and while we’re definitely planning on getting married later this year, I would like for us to be married first before kids start coming into the picture. Even better if we’ve been married for a couple years so we can have more time for ourselves and the things we want to do in life. Also, I want us to be in a better financial state before we have kids so we can give them the best lives possible. Essentially, I want us to be ready. And right now, we’re far from being there.

So for now, I’ll keep taking my No-Baby pills every day when I’m supposed to. I’ll babysit my future nieces to remind me of how much work kids can be. I’ll keep admiring the pictures my friends post of their babies on Facebook and Instagram, And I’ll keep in mind that someday, when I’m good and ready, I’ll be posting my own, too.

Do you want to have kids someday? Why or why not?

The Five Best Decisions of My Adult Life

This post was inspired by Amy‘s post from yesterday; at 27 years old, I love the idea of looking back through my 20’s and seeing exactly where the decisions I’ve made have led me over the years. Here are my top five:

1) Swing Dancing i.e. Lindy Hop – I started swing dancing when I was 20 years old. What started as just a fun hobby is what brought me to competing, performing, DJing, national traveling, and some of the best friends I’ve ever had. Lindy hop was such a HUGE part of my early twenties; in fact, it was my world– my life. Even though lindy hop isn’t as important to me now like it was back then, I will still always hold it close and dear to my heart because of all the amazing opportunities it brought me.

2) Forgiving My Mom – After my parents split up when I was 19 years old, I was extremely bitter and angry towards my mom. I blamed the separation and eventual divorce on her, claiming that she “ruined our family.” I was cold to her when she came around me and my siblings. There were even times I didn’t want anything to do with her. Even though it took a couple years, I’m so glad I eventually forgave her and became close to her again. Because I simply can’t imagine still holding that grudge against her while she battled with breast cancer, or even now that she’s gone.

3) Going Back to School – I was one of those college students who went to a community college for a couple years, couldn’t decide what to major in, and eventually, dropped out. I believe I was 21 years old when I realized, “You know Self, you can either work in restaurants for the rest of your life, or go back to school.” I chose the latter, and I’m SO glad I did. I am now the proud owner of a B.A. in English, which has led me to some amazing opportunities, and will continue to open doors for me in the future.

4) Joining an Online Dating Site – This one actually goes way beyond just joining OK Cupid. By joining an online dating site, I put myself out there and I met Chris. Once I met Chris, I slowly let my guard down and let him in– I let him love me, and I let myself love him back. I trusted him and I trusted that he wouldn’t hurt me. I let him teach me how to love someone and be in a relationship by following his amazing examples of how a significant other should be. And now, we’re living together and engaged to be married. Man, I’m so glad I joined that dating site!

5) Moving to South Korea – I don’t even know where to start with this one. Essentially, living in Korea was amazing in far too many ways: I gained teaching experience, I got to travel, I made amazing friends, I was challenged, I learned new things, I tried new things, I saw, I experienced– the list goes on and on. Choosing to move to Korea was the scariest, craziest, hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m so glad I did it, because it changed my life for the better.

What are some of the best decisions you’ve made in your adult life?

27.

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday.

You know you’re getting older when you stop remembering/caring about your birthday. Up until a couple of years ago, I would start a countdown to my birthday on May 1st: “Twenty-five days until my birthday! Three weeks until my birthday! Five days until my birthday!” I would deem the month of May my “birthday month.” I annoyingly referred to myself as a “Birthday Princess.”

Yes, all of this lasted until I was about 25 years old.

Anyway, this year was different; I kept forgetting my birthday was even approaching, probably because 27 isn’t really anything to be excited about. It’s not like I am turning an exciting age like 18 (legally an adult), 21 (legally able to drink), or 25 (can rent a car/brain is fully developed). Twenty-seven just means I’m getting closer to 30. *shudders*

Well, despite the fact that I’m not super excited about my birthday or the fact that I’m getting older, I am pretty content with where I’m at in life: I have my college degree, I’ve done a good amount of traveling, I’m engaged to the man of my dreams, and I’m getting ready to go back to school and get my career rolling. I have amazing family and friends. I’m healthy. I have a good job that pays the rent. I’m happy, and that’s all that really matters.

Even though I’ve been apathetic about my birthday this year, I still planned a small celebration for it: Chris and I are escaping to San Francisco for the weekend. We’re going to stay in a fancy hotel, eat delicious food, see the sights, and drink a lot. Essentially, I’m using my birthday as an excuse to spend money and treat myself, and I can’t wait!

Do you still get excited about your birthday? What are your plans for the long weekend?