au revoir twenty-something

Once upon a time...

Today is major, as I say goodbye to my 20s and prepare to join the ranks of a new decade.  I have been having issues about this milestone.  When I was little and played with Barbies, I would make Barbie's mom 30; it seemed old, very adult-like and serious.  So I was shocked when it came upon me so quickly.  I thought I would own my own home by now, or at least my own Chanel handbag!  But...

I like to think that what I lack in status symbols, I make up for in other ways.  While there is actually a lot that I don't remember about the last decade of my life, I have experienced the utmost in triumphs and tragedies--but have so much to be grateful for today.   Namely I am thankful to be standing on the brink of a new age bracket with outstanding friends and an amazing family by my side, all of whom have made my birthday month ridiculously special so far--and it's not even my birthday yet!

I have had this week off work, which may be one of the very best ways to celebrate any birthday.  So today, while Harper did a half-day at school, I took the opportunity to run some errands AND treat myself to the obligatory mani/pedi so that I could feel truly ready to be a grown-up tomorrow.  While my tootsies were being polished and pampered, I caught up on the September issue of Glamour, which must have been fate since one of the featured articles was Olivia Wilde's "Advice for Turning 30."  

Unlike my husband, Olivia Wilde has never exactly been on my radar, but it turns out the girl can write!  As a fellow almost-30-year-old, she calls our impending milestone the "Cut the Bullsh-t and Go Be Awesome stage," which is definitely something I can get down with. I mean, please, I'm already awesome! Of her list of dos and don'ts for thirty-somethings out there, here are my three favorites--which made me laugh so I had to include them in their entirety rather than paraphrasing (I might be awesome, but I'm not exactly what you would call funny):

DON'T freak out about all the brilliant people who accomplished more than you by 30.
Yes, Einstein had discovered the theory of relativity by your age, and Emily Brontë had written Wutheringfu*#ing Heights, but honestly, what you achieve is far less important than what kind of human being you are. What do you want people to say at your funeral: "Olivia may have cured HIV, but she ran over my cat and drove away laughing"? No, thanks! I'd rather be a good person who makes people happy than a dick who wins a Nobel by 32.

DO reap the benefits of your accumulated wisdom.

You're 30: You know stuff now. Your twenties were for "ducking up," as my auto-correct would say, and learning from those mistakes. (For instance, never again will I convince myself that sleep is for sissies and go straight from a party to the airport. You will not "sleep on the plane"; you'll vomit in the security line. Go to bed.) Now you get to live with that knowledge under your belt. Also, make it a nice belt. You're 30. Stop dressing like a hobo.

And DON'T be bogged down by your past.

Saturn has now orbited the sun once since you've been alive; make this next go-round whatever you want it to be. Consider your baggage (bad boyfriends, job setbacks, body issues) lost by the airline of life, leaving you empty-handed at your new destination with only one choice: Go shopping.

That's it. Now go—be awesome.

The reality is that 30 is upon me, whether I'm "ready" for it or not. So what choice do I have but to boldly go where everyone 30+ has gone before?

I may not have discovered the theory of relativity or even invented Post-Its, but I feel like I'm doing okay nonetheless and have left some room for growth too... I have become a little bit more domestic (thank you, Pinterest!); learned how to say no when I'm feeling stretched too thin; embraced flats; have started my own little family with my amazing and ridiculously tall husband; refuse to paint my own toes but can totally handle a DIY mani; stopped apologizing for my taste in bad tween TV; love where I work; have some seriously fabulous friends; and feel anchored by my faith.  I told you I was already awesome!  So 30 years old?  Maybe I can handle this after all.

• To read Olivia Wilde's "Advice for Turning 30" in its entirety, click here--and enjoy!

• Harper and I were photographed by the talented Miss Emma Taylor in Fall 2012; check out her blog here!