I'm 30?

I turned 30 yesterday. Wow. I don't feel 30 and am taken back when a young person at the store calls me ma'am (which by the way, never do). Where the heck did my 20's go? In looking back on the last decade, I realize I experienced a lot yet at the same time there is so much that I wanted to do that I didn't. The major thing I regret is not traveling and will make this a priority in the next phase of my life.

I really want to get to Greece, Italy, Turkey and that area, but that is a long term goal. In the short term I will settle for exploring California, possibly the Oregon and Washington coastal areas and definitely Las Vegas... yes, Las Vegas, it is almost shameful that I have not been there yet. Hopefully at some point I can make it to Washington D.C. and New York, both of which I visited the summer after 8th grade, but there is only so much you can see on a tour and New York is something I'm sure will be much funner as an adult. So to anyone reading... where have you been, where do you recommend going??

My sister has a bucket list of goals for the next year, but being the optimistic person I am (not) I'll go long term here. In the next few years (ambiguous, I know) I want to minimize my debt, which is mainly a car payment and my student loans so this is a goal that can be reached. I want to have my son out of diapers by the time he's 3, which is in 4 months so I gotta get cracking on that. I want to have a career, not just a job or two, with full benefits. I want to become involved in my community either by volunteering somewhere or getting on a board/council. And, last, but not least, I want to be a great mom. This is the hardest goal by far, but the most important.

Here's a toast and mournful goodbye to my 20's, all the great things and bad as well, for without the bad I could not have grown and had lessons learned. While I'm not greatly excited about turning 30, I know there is a lot more to do, see and learn so bring it on.