the last day of my 20s

...and boy am I relieved. Tomorrow, I can put the last of that decade behind me and breathe the clean, sweet air of 30. So as not to burn too much emotional capital on the recollection of those years, I'll do the quick and dirty list method.

Things I did between 20 and 29

started and finished two masters' degrees and a doctorate

bought a house

got married

became a dog mom for the first time

ran my first half-marathon

discovered sushi

became an opera singer

learned to knit

discovered my love for pie

learned to speak German

learned to suck less at Italian

fit back into my single-digit jeans

joined Red Sox Nation

To be fair, most of that list was accomplished in the last four years. I remember the first part of my twenties being confusing, tumultuous, and a seemingly never-ending roller-coaster of issues and drama. Except for the pie and the sushi. But I do love baseball....

Things I'd like to do between 30 and 35

run my first marathon, and then some

suck even less at Italian

get a shredder and a bigger filing cabinet (to downsize the paper crap)

take a real vacation (no family, no auditions, no work) with my husband

learn Lulu

reconsider playing softball in the summer

learn to make really good pie crust

add another continent to my passport stamp collection

spend more time with my friends and family who live far away

It's funny to look at this list as well, because only one of those goals has to do with my career. I want to spend more of my 30s living and doing it among the people I love. I want to worry less and sleep better, run longer and harder and enjoy the aches that come with it, and I want to live my life on my terms instead of seeking the approval of my professors/teachers/conductors/agents. And what's more, I think I can do it.

12 hours and 49 minutes left. And with that, I'm going to practice and head to the gym.