you bet your patootie i'm 30

I used to think being 30 was a bad thing, that I was over my peak, and that my 20’s were lost forever. Every once in a while I’d randomly get the dreaded feeling that I haven’t done as much as I thought I would accomplish – you know, those things that everyone puts together in college – 5-year-plans and the like. Coming out of college at 22, I thought I was going to do so much before I turned 30. I was planning on going to grad school, getting a CFA, planting trees, all kinds of stuff. Now, at 30, a part of me looks back on my life, I haven’t gotten back to school yet, no CFA, and aside from a plastic Christmas tree firmly planted in my living room (no joke…it’s been there since 2011), no other progress there either. Kinda sad when you think about it.

Then, the other part of me looks back at the life experiences I've had over the last decade. Looking back, there have been some things I've done in the last 10 years that I wouldn't trade in for anything. I've dangled my legs over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Back in college, we had woodstocks deliver a pizza through a bathroom window - it was a long story. Once, while trying to meet Vincente Fox, I failed but during the process, accidentally shook Clay Aiken's hand instead (didn't know who he was at the time). Back in 2007 I drove all night to hear Bill Clinton, who I would consider a once-in-a-generation mind, speak at UCLA. I rode a gas station dinosaur on a dare once (thanks sinclairs!).

I took a selfie while sitting under the shade of the Taj Mahal. Three years ago, I almost got arrested for accidentally trespassing on federal land at Arlington. Joshua Bell once hit me in the right shoulder with a Stradivarius. Last October, I carried an large bottle of apple cider through most of Switzerland, four different asian cities, and half-way around the world back to the states solely because it had the name "Ramseier" on it and I wanted to give it to my cousins. Oh yea, and I got a chance to travel quite a bit.

While some of the things I thought I wanted to do, I ended up not getting around to, there were so many things that I got to do that were once in a lifetime! I know…some say it’s moving the goal-posts and declaring a victory. Meh…I’d say it’s not winning or losing, but just taking stock of what’s happened. I know one thing's for sure, I'm totally looking forward to my thirties!