29: The End of a Decade of Q

Yup!  A second birthday blog post!  It's a celebration here at Q's Adventures!  Woo!

So, as we all know, today is my 29^th birthday!  Yup, this is the last birthday I will ever have in my 20s.  Exactly 1 year from today, I will be turning the dreaded 3-0.  I will officially be a middle-aged male.  Right now, though, I can still consider myself young.  And I plan to take advantage of it!

The 20s have been a time of extreme changes in my life.  It’s kind of scary how much change there has been in my life over the past 9 years.  When I turned 20, I was in Davis, middling my way through college…enjoying my time with my friends in college, but not really sure where I was headed.  I got kicked out of college for bad grades…was readmitted, changed majors, and started doing better and actually focused on graduating.  I turned 21, 22, and then, bam, out of college!  Real world hits!

Now that’s a change!  To go from doing literally whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to, I had a much more structured schedule to follow.  But it was fine.  I had money to burn, so I spent my time away from work travelling.  In 2007 (age 23-24), my first year not in school in a long, long time, I almost died three times and attended 6 weddings.  Not a great start.  But in 2008 (age 24-25) might have been one of my best years yet!  My trips included Ab Feed, Disneyland, Lake Tahoe, Florida, Las Vegas a couple times, Ventura, Grand Canyon, and Cozumel, Mexico…not to mention my first Sharks playoff games, a few great concerts (ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Guy), and ending that year in New Orleans!  This was also the year I moved out of home and into an apartment with J-Mart.  Yeah, pretty awesome. 

So, yeah, I’d say things changed for the better once I hit my mid 20s.  I had a stable job, I had my own place (with roomies, but I was back to taking care of myself), I was travelling…basically, I was enjoying life.  2009 (age 25-26) saw me start the year in New Orleans, and also hit up Ventura, Bodega Bay, Disneyland for my 26^th birthday, Sunriver, Philadelphia, Chicago (my first trip there…loved it), and 3 Vegas trips (including a one night, no hotel trip)!  Pretty awesome! 

The travelling has continued throughout my late 20s.  There was the 2010 (age 26) Midwest baseball vacation (Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland).  That was a real highlight.  Not only the ballparks, and getting to see the country with Dustin...but we also saw things like the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cedar Point, and other various Midwest sights!  Very cool!  2011 (age 27-28) saw me hit up Disneyland, Vegas, Tennessee (for a full month), Vegas, Boston, and Kauai.  This was also the year when I decided to get my ass in shape!  And my life has definitely been turned for the better because of it!

So that brings us to the present!  I’ve spent all year being 28, and have done some amazing things in 2012 (I’ll have the Q’s Year in Review in December…but this year has seen trips to Minnesota, Kauai, Tennessee, Ventura/LA, SoCal, Vegas, Central Oregon, Portland, a skydiving opportunity, and running in a marathon relay). Yeah, Age 28 might have been my best year yet.   And now I’m 29.  The last of the 20s years.  And I have no plans on slowing down!

From being 21 and getting kicked out of college and having really no direction in life, to being 29 and having a job and a place to live, the means to travel and have fun, etc.  From spending most of my entire 20s being morbidly obese to now running 5 days a week and training for a half marathon (with an eye towards triathlons).  I’d say in the last year or so, I’ve really come into my own.  So, maybe, getting older has been a good thing!  I mean, yeah, I miss parts of my youth…but I’m enjoying myself more these days than I ever have in the past.

So, what does 29 have in store for me?  Well, its unclear…but I suspect I will continue to stay in shape, run in races, and branch out into triathlons.  I suspect I will continue to travel, as much as I can afford to.  I also have these odd inklings that I should save up to buy a condo or something…so maybe that’s in the cards as well.  You know, gotta grow up sometime, I guess.  Otherwise, I’m just going to keep being me, keep looking to better myself, keep looking for the next challenge, and try to enjoy the shit out of the last year of my youth!  Because before I know it, I’ll be 30!  And that’s officially middle aged.  Although maybe I shouldn’t really start to worry about getting old until I hit my 40s.  Besides, I hear from some of my friends who have already arrived to their 30s that 30 really isn’t so bad.

So, to everyone out there, thanks for making the first 29 years of my life a great one.  As I embark on my 30^th year of existence, and close out my 3^rd decade on this planet, I just want everyone to know that I’m glad you are all along for the ride!  Let’s close out 2012 in style and hit 2013 running!  And when October 3 rolls around next year…we better throw a hell of a 30^th birthday bash!  Until then, BRING ON 29!

Now, who’s up for getting me drunk!

Cheers!