Reflecting on my Twenties

Tomorrow is the big day.  The Big 3-0.  The day I've been dreading for months.  The day I (not so) secretly wish would never come.  I know it's not "old".  But I still have a little bit of trouble with it, mostly since I can vividly remember my mom's own 30th birthday.  We were just coming out of church when the car holding my giggling aunts started honking, directing our attention to our now-decorated-in-black-balloons-and-streamers car, and my mom taking off in a full sprint in her heels to try to gnaw the balloons off with her teeth.  I stood holding Kate's hand thinking, "Man, my mom is OLD!"  And now here we are.  Tomorrow.  Closing out my twenties.  Entering the next decade of life.  

As I was getting ready this morning, I decided that it wasn't so bad as I've been making it out in my mind to be.  And so I started reflecting on all of the things that I've done in my twenties - and it's been a lot.

• I've lived in three different states and moved (including college) eight times.  I've also bought two houses.  
• I was engaged, planned a wedding, and got married.  
• I've taught in three different schools, covering all areas of music.
• I finished both my bachelor's and master's degrees.
• I'm now expecting our first child.  
• I've become an expert party planner, thanks to Dad's birthday and Katie's wedding.
• I've become a stronger individual, more confident in myself.  

Then I started thinking about the birthdays in my twenties.  And I laughed.  Most of them, I can remember, especially the college ones.  

• For my 20th birthday, the Mrs. dutifully took me out on the town in Chambana with several other friends.  She proceeded to get me completely intoxicated.  I lost my ID that night, almost fell in the Boneyard creek and had a pretty severe hangover the next day.  I'm not sure if I ever thanked you for that, Mrs.  :)
• My 21st birthday was much more tame than my 20th.  Mitch and I (we had just started dating) spent the night out in Champaign, and I believed we spent the evening at Legend's.  My parents came down the next day, got to meet Mitch for the first time, and then we went and bought my first case of beer.  Memories....
• My 22nd birthday was spent at a pep band game in Peoria.  Student teaching really cramped my birthday style.
• Mitch and I were living in Glendale Heights for my 23rd birthday, and I think we went out to eat, which was quite a treat that year, since we were dirt-poor.  I also think we got pretty sick after dinner, because we had eaten too much.
• We celebrated my 24th birthday at MCHS - Cin had made me a cardstock crown (it pays to have an art teacher as a friend!), which I wore around all day.  It was awesome.
• I can't remember if it was my 24th or 25th birthday, but we had a band concert that day.  #1 Rush Fan had brought me a bottle of "Red Truck" wine (he had a red truck that we would take to lunch; he called it his "Bitchmobile" because usually it was filled with other female coworkers) and completely embarrassed me during the concert.  He and my mom had plotted together and they created these posters of old pictures of me growing up.  Tragic.  The crowd loved it.  THEN Zan got the entire audience to sing.  Totally embarrassing.  It was completely sweet and thoughtful, though.  
• I don't remember my 26th birthday.  Must not have been very exciting. 
• My 27th birthday might have been my favorite so far.  I had the day off school, and I spent the entire day in my pajamas watching a Law & Order marathon.  It was glorious.  (Thanks, Mitch, for reminding me.  How could I have forgotten THAT!) 
• My 28th birthday was spent working....again.  Conference band festival, all day and all night.  Fun.
• I don't think we did anything too crazy for my 29th birthday - but I do remember that Mitch got me these super-awesome green rubber boots.  I love those things.  

Tomorrow will be a low-key event.  Work, then home to take a nap, then out to dinner with Mitch's folks for steak.  It was my only request.  I might just take a grape juice box to pour into my wine glass at dinner.  It's all about presentation, people.  

I will admit, I'm sad to leave my twenties - they were good years, most of them.  I'm afraid that I have to be a "real" adult now that I'll be 30, something that I just still can't believe I am.  I'm REALLY not looking forward to the harassing phone calls that will begin from my family at 6:00am tomorrow morning.  But I am looking forward to the birth of our baby in my thirties, and financial stability (someday), and making fun of my sisters when they turn 30.  

Please don't call too early tomorrow, people.  Tina needs her beauty sleep to keep those wrinkles from coming.