Today’s ThinkKit prompt:

Time to get mathematical – and yes, you may use a calculator. Was there a significant number in your year? A birthday? A first? A personal record? A date now carved in the annals of time? A number that represents a streak, whether winning or losing, good or bad? A bellwether or a lagging indicator or just…three. 

My girl Aaliyah said it best, “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number.” But when you turn 30, it seems like everything is about that number!

I turned 30 in August, and although my life isn’t exactly what I imagined it would be by the time I turned 30, I’m pretty content with how things have turned out. I feel good about where I am with my career and what the future holds, I have an amazing life with my boyfriend and our dogs, and I’ve managed to not have any pregnancy scares (knock on wood).

Some other things that turned 30 this year include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tetris, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA and The Cosby Show. I think I’m in good company.

But shouldn’t I feel more grown up than I do? I still don’t know how to change a flat tire or drive a stick. I don’t put enough money in my savings account. I probably drink too much and I still love bathroom graffiti. I have lavender hair. Do you know what other people have done by the time they were 30?

• Mark Twain published his first short story, “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog.”
• Donald Trump persuaded bankers to lend him $80 million so he could buy the Commodore Hotel.
• Bill Gates was the first person ever to become a billionaire by age 30.
• Einstein had discovered the theory of relativity.

WHAT?! Well then. I won’t be able to compete with any of those people, but isn’t that the beauty of being 30? Aren’t you supposed to stop comparing yourself to others? I am feeling more comfortable in my own skin and more confident about who I am…and I’ve even started using eye cream at night. I started to learn HTML. I bought new car tires for the first time and started my own business. Slowly but surely I’m feeling more “adult.”

My 20’s were a whirlwind of fantastic adventures; I went through heartbreak, bought a house, gained (and lost) friendships, met my soulmate, found myself and my true passions, took risks, traveled, attended hundreds of concerts and partied my heart out. I can only hope that my 30’s will be as incredible as the last decade of my life. Let’s do this.

Scenes from my 30th birthday party…I might be 30 but that doesn’t mean I have to act like it!