Thursday, August 14, 2008

30

Today I turn thirty. 

People keep asking how I feel about being the Big 3-0 and kissing my twenties goodbye. I'm at a loss. Most of my friends have been 30 for some time and I've honestly felt 30 for at least the last year or so. And I don't feel like there were xyz things I *needed* to accomplish by today, even smallish-ish feats like jumping out of a plane (which I did with H when he turned 30). Sure, there were things I've said I wanted to do, (and did) but there's nothing I feel the need to do to mark the occasion with fanfare.  

Don't get me wrong, my life is supremely different than how I'd imagined it would be when I was 10, 15 or even 20 years old. I had figured that by 30 I'd be married to a Nice Indian Boy with a couple of kids, living in suburbia, working at a job that "hasn't been invented yet" and serving as scout leader on Tuesday nights. If you had told me that instead I'd:

a) spend seven years living with mommy and daddy after college so I could take exotic vacations and save up to purchase a home 
b) discover my dream place of employment was actually a dungeon 
c) watch the industry I've slaved to be a part of implode so I no longer could afford the house I'd saved for 
d) find myself trying to unload a tiny piece of highrise real estate just in time for the housing market downslide
e) realize that a white guy from southern California understood me far better than any Indian Boy I'd ever met who wasn't gay

I'd never have believed you.

But I'm happy. Last night my mom and I got off work early and we hit the DMV (fastest service EVER!) then went for pedicures, got our eyebrows done and shopped. Today, H and I are going back to their house where I'm sure my parents will serve ice-cream cake, as they have every August 14 that I can remember. And I think my friends have planned something that I'm sure will be awesome this weekend. 

While it would be nice to have a couple kiddies crawling around, I'm pretty satisfied with my life the way it is right now, troubles and all. There are things I really should do, like set up a more solid system to save for retirement and find time for hobbies I love but haven't gotten to in years, like watercolor painting and pretending to breakdance. I'm also hoping to progress beyond the first-grade level of Hindi spelling/grammar at some point, and if we have to take the condo off the market I'll start making masala Indian food more than just once a week when I go back to my parents' house. (Hot sauce is a poor substitute, but it doesn't leave a lingering aroma that could turn off potential buyers.) Oh, and I've always wanted to see Iceland.

That's probably stuff I should put on a list to accomplish before I turn 40. Forty is the new 30, right? Maybe that's when this alleged sense of dread I'm supposed to be feeling will kick in. But if I'm to believe My Favorite Mami, I'll likely start feeling it tomorrow—like a nasty hangover. 

15 comments:

omar said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, Cadiz! As long as you eat ice cream cake, you'll never be old.

And as long as you make Indian food, you'll always be my friend. Even moreso if you make it, uh, FOR ME.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!! For what it's worth, I loved turning 30. By the time I got there (uh, four years ago), I didn't feel like I was in the "typical" twenties anymore...and we didn't want a kid until we were in our 30s, and we couldn't be happier with waiting.

I wish you the best in this coming year and many more!! ;)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! I loved turning 30. Hope the year brings you everything you want!

Noelle said...

Happy birthday! This is a really good time to be 30, I for one am totally enjoying it!

Lia said...

Happy birthday!

I haven't been 30 yet, but I'm guessing that if you're happy with where your life is, 30 is a great place to be.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! I hope this H guy has a nice present for you on your big day.

30 is good! I'd rather be in my 30s than younger. My guess is I'll say the same thing about 40 when I get there.

Anonymous said...

Happy Bday!! Welcome to 30! (it's not as bad as those 29 year old peeps make it out to be!)

Anonymous said...

OK, so I put up a comment on the next post before I read this one....

Anonymous said...

Hey, happy birthday. It's just gone the 15th here, but the curvature of the earth has allowed me to post this to you from the future.

---X

Madelyn said...

Happy Birthday! If you ask me, I think you're doing pretty well for yourself at age 30.

Syar said...

Happy belated birthday! You're one of the people that make 30 look good to me (a young'n who's just a little iffy about turning 20). :)

SupaCoo said...

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a lovely day.

By the way, last night my mom asked me who "kah-dizz" was who comments on Schnitzel. I laughed, and said "Well, kind of a friend of a friend." I mean, how can I explain it? And the internet is my friend, and that is how I know you, so...

Anonymous said...

Happy (belated) birthday!!!

Librarian Girl said...

Happy birthday! A little late...