Great Things About Being Thirty

I was watching a VH1 show called "Great Things About Being Thirty". One of the items on the list was the ability to rid oneself of a "Things to do before I turn thirty" list. I didn't realize that some folks had them. Since I am a list maker and kinda compulsive I decided to add more excitement and pressure to my life by making a list of my own. Here is it...

1) Road trip to Cali, Vegas, or Vancouver. I live on the East Coast so this would be an amazing trip!
2) Learn how to swim. It was on my list for this past summer but I couldn't get into any class in my city.
3) Get book published. I have a book of great poety (doesn't everyone say that?) that I need to get out into the world.
4) Pierce something other than my ears or get another tattoo.
5) Purchase first piece of real estate.
6) Establish real estate investment business.
7) A secret (and NO it is NOT to get married!)

Instead of Working Some Crappy Job, I Think I Would Like to Take An Extended Road Trip

It’s been a long time since I’ve written about the saga of my life. From the last entry until now I’ve made some major changes:
1) I left my job and that asshole of a boss (I hope the earth beneath his feet opens up and swallows him whole)
2) I moved out of my apartment
3) I relocated most of my worldly possessions into a storage facility that I am renting for $50 a month.
4) I moved in with my mom and stepfather
5) I am taking one month to travel, rest, read, refocus and think about this life I am creating
6) I am ready to be done with this 20something life and move onto the 30s where I believe my life will have settled down

All in all, I am very happy right now. There haven’t been any anxiety attacks or high levels of stress. Although, I have become that chick on the couch and at times feel as if I am a cliché. I am a 20something trying to figure out life. In any case, I have learned a few things:
1) Sleeping on your mom’s couch can be problematic if you are taller than 5’3’’
2) One’s shoulder and back can suffer a great deal, however, do to youth, you can recover quite quickly
3) The living room can offer lots of privacy as you have it all to yourself between the hours of 10:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.

In all honesty, I am not plagued with feelings of loserdom nor that I acted irresponsibly. I feel very brave. I left a bad situation (previous job=asshole boss + no real commitment to the field on my part) to free myself up to do what I really want to do (urban planning/affordable housing/travel/culinary wizard/wine connoisseur/driving long distances/thinking/being utterly random and eccentric).

So what’s the plan-the real plan? This month I am mainly regrouping because this past year I have become a bit unglued. But I am also studying for a professional examination that I’ll take the first week of November, teaching myself to play the guitar, work on my business that I’d like to have running before I turn 30, get a mentoring program outlined, and cultivate specific relationships (personal and professional). You know that I cannot sit around all day watching VH1 or CNN. I’ll go crazy. I have to constantly do something productive with myself.

Right now I am 4.5 hours from my mom’s house visiting with my sister and her children. Next week, I’ll be 7 hours away visiting some family and a friend. For both weeks I am getting some bed action. No sleeping on the couch for at least 2 weeks. At this stage in the game, it is the small things that count.

More updates to come on this tumultuous yet exciting life caught in the 20s…