30 Baby!!!

Ah, the dreaded age...the one that as a college student I thought sounded so old and mature. Amazing how I really didn't know a thing back then! Thirty may be mature, but it is certainly not old. I'm embracing thirty...I've been looking forward to it...and now it's here. I celebrated with a wild weekend in Orange County, CA with my lifelong friends, Michelle, Sara, and Mandi. We painted San Diego red and then drove around Newport Harbor in a Duffy boat. The weekend ended with a fiery bonfire on the beach.

With thirty of course came the pitfalls of adulthood...flight cancellations! First, you must understand that I flew to Atlanta and then to OC on Friday. This fact concerned Sara...I had a message from her, "Kari, I'm a little concerned that you said Atlanta. That's the wrong direction hon. You need to go west!" Nice. I thought things would be better on the way back because I was flying through Salt Lake City, UT. Actually, that made me nervous too because it was already a late flight and weather can be sketchy this time of year. I even thought about putting some extra essentials in my carry-on bag...but I didn't. Which was tough once they cancelled my flight Monday night and I had to go spend the night in an Econo Lodge (not recommended), and then fly from Salt Lake to ATLANTA and then finally to San Antonio! I got home Tuesday night at 7:30, which was better than the 11:30 pm arrival I almost had from Phoenix...when Guy, the Delta man, suggested it I just started crying because the idea of getting home that late was just too much for me to take. I'm not a crier, but I couldn't keep it in any longer.

These are the adventures of a thirty year old.

And it all begins again tomorrow...

Christmas break is quickly coming to a close. It began with a lovely 18+ hour trek up to Iowa with Mom and Dad to see the rest of our family. I actually got to see a white Christmas and I didn't die from the low temperatures. I expected the worst and therefore was not as cold as I thought I might be. The time with my sister was all-to-short, but at least I got to see her. She brought her boyfriend Ben, and no, they are not engaged. :) On our way back down to Texas I got to stop in KC to see Kara Johnson, which was awesome! I hadn't seen her since my first year of teaching--the time was too short, but we made the most of it over Panera coffee.

The rest of the break included a wedding in Austin, a little time spent in Houston--loved seeing the Wests and meeting their friends--and then simply relaxing at home in SA. I did a whole lot of nothing--which was nice for a change. I lead such a go, go life, that doing nothing felt good. I can only do nothing for a short amount of time, and I've hit my limit. I am ready for a more structured existence again.

New Year's meant time spent with TNT friends. It truly feels like a new beginning this year. 2008 already seems to promise lots of excitement. I can't say why, but I feel as though lots of life is going to be lived this year. My motto for 2008 is "Enjoy the Journey."

I've been spending a lot of time chronicling my life through my scrapbooks since I began selling Creative Memories. What I've discovered is that I have led an incredible life thus far. It seems to have begun to pick up in 2005 and hasn't stopped. In '07 that meant some growing bumps, but the bruises have healed. Looking through the albums really demonstrates how blessed I have been with family and friends who love and support me unconditionally. This journey would be far from fun without all you.

So here is to 2008...may it be fabulous, fun, and full of blessings for us all!