The big 3 ohhhhhhh......

30… Ouch.  The thought of actually, for real, undeniably being 30 years old in a few weeks is not pleasant.  I don’t know what it is, 30 really isn’t that old.  It’s just not 20 or 16.  Those numbers exude youth and vibrancy.  30 sounds like responsibility and the beginning of aches, pains, sagging, wrinkles and the occasional grey hairs popping up.  

I seem to find myself reflecting on my life.  Where I thought I would be and where I actually am.  I wanted to be lots of things ‘When I Grow Up’.  First up, dolphin trainer.  This career goal started around the age of 7 or so and continues to enter my mind from time to time, kind of like the ‘dream that got away’. I wanted to live on the ocean and play with dolphins all day everyday.  I read everything I could get my little hands on about dolphins and seriously considered myself an expert on the species.  I felt confident that I could do the job better than anyone else, including any adult with the proper qualifications who was currently doing my dream job.  The fact that I needed the Hope scholarship to go to college and the University of Miami’s marine biology school was in Florida, where I couldn’t use that scholarship, killed my dream.

At some point around 11 or 12 I decided I wanted to be a doctor.  First it was a Pediatrician then I narrowed it down to an Anesthesiologist.  After all, the way I saw it, they didn’t have to do very much and made a boat load of money.  Then I learned that instead of 4 years of college, it was more like 10+ to accomplish this goal.  I gave up on having an MD after my name.

What do you get when you combine animals and medicine?  My job.  It’s kind of funny, I literally combined aspects of those two dreams to come up with the career I settled on and pursued.  It all worked out.  Although, I would still move to the Bahamas to be a dolphin trainer if given the chance.

I always thought people who were 30 had it all figured out.  That they had their stuff together.  Ha!  I was really wrong.  I don’t have anything figured out other than a few things:

• There is a God and I trust Him and I will spend my life following Him.
• Ranch dressing goes with everything
• Sparkly things will always catch my eye
• People falling down, mascots, and funny animals will never get old
• There’s no sense in stressing out about things I have no control over
• If I make life plans and timelines, God laughs.
• Good friends are hard to come by and worth holding onto

Let’s be honest, I’m not where I thought I would be at 30.  I don’t have the husband or perfect little mini-me’s running around or the high paying job that is super rewarding.  And since we're being honest....it's totally ok that I don't have those things.  I have plenty of time for those things, if it's what God wants for my life.  I do have a lot of great friends, some really stellar key players in my life, a great job that can take me places, a good heart, a lot of hope, and a lot of faith.  It's not what I thought of my life when I thought of 'Jenny at 30', but it's exactly where I need to be.  I’ve seen what God can do with little ‘ole me in a short period of time and I can honestly say I’ve never been so excited about my future.  It’s looking brighter and brighter every single day.  Bring it on 30!