At 2:45 PM today I began my fourth decade on this planet. Off the top of my head I’d say the first three have gone pretty well. I hope that when I start my fifth decade (hopefully) I can look back at the next ten years and see the trend continue. Nobody knows for sure what to expect but I can imagine a lot might have changed by then.
Here’s some quick thoughts, memories and moments that stand out to me today as I can for the first time look back on my 20s in their entirety.
- I can’t remember my twentieth birthday, probably because it was my last birthday anticipating turning 21. I think most of my birthdays were fairly nondescript and I can’t seem to recall 22-26 either. For an entirely different reason I can’t remember most of my 21st birthday. I do remember good friends. More than one prairie fire. And the next day. I remember spending my 27th birthday in Minnesota even though I lived in Utah. And I remember spending my 29th birthday in Ft. Myers Beach with Snacks, Lil’ Nipper, Charles and a few fish bowls. From that birthday I will always remember the ham.
- So obviously I turned 21 in my twenties and I’ve appreciated that ever since.
- The Yankees won their 27th World Series and I was there for games 3 and 5 with my cousin.
- I graduated from UMD.
- I moved to the Twin Cities.
- I moved to Salt Lake City.
- I moved to the Twin Cities (Again).
- My grandma died :(.
- In 2009 I got my first (and only right now) tattoo.
- I got my first real job.
- I got my second, third and fourth real jobs.
- I bought my first house, a townhouse, in Maple Grove.
- Put on a lot of weight.
- Lost a lot of weight.
- Ran my first 5k, 7k, 10k and half marathon.
- Competed in multiple team wine-box races.
- Joined Facebook. (Yeah, Facebook didn’t even exist when I turned 20)
- Got my first iPhone.
- Bought my first New car. 2008(?) Ford Edge.
- And my second car, 2012 Toyota Prius. (52mpg)
- My first trip to London, for work.
- Visited China. Shanghai for work. Beijing for exploring. And landed in Japan on the way back
- If Bermuda doesn’t count as the Caribbean then I took my first trip there. Statia. St. Eustatius. MSP >> Sint Maartin >> Statia >> Sint Maartin >> San Juan >> MSP. From what I call it was a pretty relaxing, uneventful trip. I will always remember the roosters though. And the hammock.
- Found my first on-my-own dog Swarley. (He’s laying here next to me as I write this, he wanted me to borrow his stuffed animal Steve)
- Visited and revisited many parts of the country including NC, Vegas, Florida, Albuquerque, Chicago, NY, Colorado, Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Boston and various other places and lots in between.
- Met an amazing woman.
- Who then moved in with Swarley and I.
- And then became my fiancé. Just in the nick of time.
- Oh yeah, that was what happened in Statia.
- Became a pretty good poker player and financed a lot of fun with some pretty decent winnings.
- Came in 2nd in a 2100 player poker tournament to a guy who at the time was a top rank online player.
- Many amazing people have come into my life, some were already there, some have left, some are still here and some are lingering off in the distance but each and every one has contributed to me being who and where I am and I’m thankful for that.
- Finally started Breaking Bad.
- Finished Breaking Bad.
- Came to terms with turning 30, I’m sure it won’t be that bad and to be honest I’m really not all that worried about it.
for more profundity or pithy humor follow me on twitter – @bicb
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