Last Day of My 20s

Today is the last day of my twenties. Everyone keeps telling me that my 30s are going to be awesome and some of the best years of my life. I don't doubt it but as I reflect on my 20s I feel like they were also awesome and some of the best years of my life. So I figured today should be a celebration of my 20s.

• Places Traveled: England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Spain, Austria, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mexico, Tanzania
• Number of Times Driven Across the United States: 2
• Job Positions Taken: Office Assistant, Receptionist, Guest Service Associate, Babysitter, Receptionist, Registered Dietitian, Senior Registered Dietitian
• Apartments Lived In: 5
• Degrees Earned: Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Business Economics and a Minor in Exercise and Health Science, Master of Science in Nutritional Science
• Languages Forgotten: French
• Languages Learned: Spanish
• Weddings: 1

I turned 20 when I was studying abroad in England. That year was full of ups and downs. It was only a few short weeks after 9/11, it was the year the euro launched in Europe, I had some of the hardest Economics classes I had ever taken, and I got to do a lot of things I loved - photography, horseback riding, and loads of traveling. The following year I celebrated my 21st birthday back in Santa Barbara. My dad got to watch his youngest and final child graduate from college and I was suddenly faced with figuring out what I was going to do next. So I did what any independent 21 year old would do and I traveled around New Zealand and Australia for a month with friends that I have known since 4th grade.

When I returned to the US and turned 22 I decided to go back to school to get a Masters in Nutrition and moved to Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to share an apartment with one of the girls I met when I studied abroad and honestly, it was the best roommate situation a girl could dream of. When I was 24 I went to Mexico for 2 months to live with a host family, attend school and learn Spanish. Personally and professionally this was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I even took a part time job at a children's museum to help fund my way.

25 was my "golden" birthday (the birthday when you turn the same age as your birth-date) and I celebrated in style with a sunrise hot air balloon ride over Temecula Valley followed by a day of wine tasting with my closest friends. That year I also graduated from Grad School, made the move across the country to Washington DC, and spent a month traveling around China. When I was 26 I spent 3 weeks traveling around Tanzania.

My 27th birthday was the first birthday I celebrated with Marc. He took me out to dinner at Sonoma a delicious restaurant in South East Washington DC and gave me tickets to watch the Capitols hockey team (although it might have been as much a present for him as it was for me). Little did I know that the following year we would be celebrating my 28th birthday in our apartment in San Diego and the year after that I would be celebrating my 29th birthday and our engagement. I also didn't imagine that I would have the best wedding day I could have planned.

When I look back now I had some of the most adventurous, challenging and exciting years that a single independent girl can have. I can only imagine what my 30s will bring and how life will be different as a married independent lady.