(Note: I wrote this post the night of my birthday, but with my trip to Seattle and the subsequent readjusting from my trip to Seattle…I’m just posting now. Better late then never…or before I turn 30.)

On February 19 at 12:14 p.m., I officially became a 28-year old.

The only way I can adequately explain my emotions is that I am at a cross between yelling “EEEEEEK NOOOO!!!!” and “WOOOOO YESSSS!!!!”

Obviously, I am a bit terrified to be in my “late twenties.” I mean, come on…I’m two years away from the big 3-0! That is scary shit! But at the same time, I feel a wave of acceptance washing over me, pushing me to own my age. Because, really, there is no stopping the clock. Unless you’re Pharrell.

So, I figure you can either whine about having to check the next age bracket or you can sharpen your pencil and freaking CHECK that next age bracket with confidence. You’ve earned those years, baby! As I mentioned in my renaissance year post, this year is all about following my heart and staying in the moment. As soon as I refocused my outlook on the present and let go of all preconceived notions of where I should be and what I should be doing, I felt more liberated than I ever have in my entire life! And you know what lead me to that point?

Age.

All of my experiences thus far – the amazing, the hilarious, the crazy, the fun, the sad, the terrible, the unexpected, the powerful – have brought me to a place where I am really, really comfortable in my own skin. And without those years, without the clock ticking…I might still be the really insecure girl at the party who knows how to say “NSYNC” in sign language. Now I’m probably the loudest one…and my party trick is that I can totally still say “NSYNC” in sign language. And break out in random Zumba dances without any shred of embarrassment. I can also write well, network confidently, run a website or two (check out washington.org and dccool.com, ya’ll!), pack and unpack the hell out of an apartment, navigate city streets – and public transportation – like a boss, send birthday gifts ON TIME (kind of), buy semi-quality alcohol (I’m talking second shelf from the bottom here, people!) cook vegetarian feasts, run marathons , you name it…even manage this quarter-life crisis on a day-to-day basis.

I’ve learned how to be a better wife to the man of my dreams, a best friend to the most fabulous people on the planet, a super cool aunt to the cutest kids on earth and a loving daughter, granddaughter and sister to those who have always loved me for who I am all along. I know how to love unconditionally, appreciate laughing uncontrollably and even can sew fabric pumpkins, craft yarn-wrapped letters and squeeze freaking almond milk from a nut milk bag. Although I still giggle like a child every time I say “nut milk bag.”

High five, late twenties AM!I

In conclusion…the past 28 years have been pretty damn good to me. So, I’m embracing the heck out of this next year. After all, 28 is not nearly as tough as 29 will be! :)