I turned 30

I turned thirty this past weekend. Only a handful of you can truly appreciate this. If you are more than a year away from turning thirty, then the gravity of actually transitioning from your youthful twenties into your true adulthood thirties is lost. If you have hit thirty already and are looking at thirty-five or forty or more, the gravity is again lost because you look back and say, “well, it isn’t that bad, at least you’re not turning forty” or something along those lines. It is small band of companions that I have here; a select few that can truly appreciate this feeling.

Last year, when I hit twenty-nine, Jen gave me a present. It was my “30 before 30” list. She had me list thirty things that I wanted to do before I was thirty. Seems easy enough right? Not for me. I took it very seriously you see. I could not put something on the list that was small and insignificant, nor could I put some monumental task that would most likely go undone. It was tough – even knowing that Jen really would let me do whatever I put on the list.

I will admit, I never came up with a full list of thirty things (I think I only had about twenty-four items) and not all the things on the list were completed. Some things were easy things, but still things that I truly wanted to do within the next 365 days, for example, go sailing, eat at new restaurants, visit Hollywood and see the Walk of Stars. I had a few big ticket items too: visit another foreign country, fly a jet as pilot in command, and summit Mount Whitney.

A few things came to the wire. This weekend, Jen and I tied up the loose ends on the “30 before 30” list.

Looking back, this weekend ended up being a great summation of the thirty years that I have spent here.

There are several things that I love doing, and might even say that they partially define me. I love doing new and exciting things and going to new and exciting places. I love flying and instructing. I love hanging out with friends and eating. I love Survivor.

And that is what I did this weekend. I closed out thirty years doing what I do.

But this weekend showed me more than just a summation of things I do. It showed me that, both for the weekend and my life, I am content. No, I am even better than content. Paul said we need to learn to be content in whatever situation we are placed, and I am pretty sure he was more meaning on being content when we find ourselves in a less than desirable situation. I am definitely better than content. This is due to many things much greater than myself – the biggest being: God, my parents and my wife.

These three, and countless others, have been there for me, helping me, directing me and loving me unconditionally. I cannot ask for more. I have lived thirty years and was never alone, hungry or wanting. Like I said, I am more than content – thanks everyone for the past thirty years!