The Big 2-8

So my birthday is right around the corner. I'll be 28. And if i were myself and someone else were turning 28 i would tell them "actually you'll be STARTING your 29th year of life because your birthday just indicates that your 28th year is finished" and it would make me feel older. You know the whole Americans start the count from birth at 0. I think its interesting that other cultures call a baby 1 year old at birth. Makes you think twice when you ask someone how old they are.

I just might start saying "Well it depends on what day you count from."

I'm not too excited yet about my birthday. I have friends that keep asking if i'm getting excited. My bf reminded me that not being excited about a birthday just means that i'm getting old. But in reality - 28 doesn't seem that old to me.

When i was a kid, i guess i had all sorts of expectations about what I would be like and what my life would be like when i was in my 20's. As a kid, i was really under the impression that everyone got married in their early 20's because that's how things happened for my parents, my aunt and uncle and my older brother as well.

But when i was 20 - i couldn't imagine being married yet. Even though i was seriously dating someone and we had talked about the idea of marriage - it was still something that was like a far off idea. Then when i turned 24 - i was still with the same guy and realized that i still wasn't ready to get married and had the feeling he was and I ended things because of that and many other reasons.

I'll refer to the time between 24 and my current present time as something reserved and documented in "a different blog" as i don't care to address it all over again. But even with 28 around the corner - i don't feel like i've missed the mark in terms of my childhood expectations.

Instead i feel like i really challenged expectations held for me by my family by continuing to do my own thing and make my own path - even if it did seem like going around my elbow to get to my ass sometimes. In the end, it has been a decent journey to the "now." And looking back, i guess you always think that maybe you would have changed things - but in real life, I'm just glad to be here. Right where i am. Could i have not gained 20 pounds along the way? Sure. But in terms of big ticket items - 28 has been decent to me.

It beat me up a little bit along the way, i'm sure it left a fair amount of scars. But nothing that has made me scared of 29 or 30. I think i can handle it. And in the end - my expectations as a kid were just that - childish. And i like the real version - here and now - so much more.