Today is the last day of my 30’s. Since my friends have been turning 40 for years, you’d think I’d be prepared for this. Parties and presents and “happy birthday’s” are a distraction, and they are wonderful, because when I sit down and think about it, the idea of turning 40 scares and exhilarates me.
And then midnight will come, and it will be over. I’ll be the same person. My life will be exactly the same. So what’s the big deal?
The future is the future, just like it always was. And while I have goals for the future, I’m not ready to articulate them just yet. On this last day, how about a celebration of some things I have accomplished, in no conceivable order?
40 Things I’ve Done Before Turning 40
- Perfected a killer Nancy Kerrigan impression
- Climbed a rock wall
- Figured out what escrow is
- Attended my 10-year college reunion
- Rode a horse
- Caught a wave in the Pacific Ocean without dying
- Visited London
- Got a kiss on the cheek from Courtney Love, and another on the lips from Neil Gaiman
- Sunbathed on a topless beach (not topless)
- Ate octopus
- Read “David Copperfield”
- Finally went on a weekend trip with the friends I’ve loved since age 14
- Remodeled a kitchen
- Drove across the United States
- Won an award for Creativity and a $50 savings bond for an essay I wrote in 2nd grade
- Stood in the middle of Grand Central station and stared at the beautiful ceiling
- Sailed among the British Virgin Islands…for 10 days
- Grew two humans inside my body
- Produced dozens of episodes of actual television
- Hugged Emily Saliers
- Appeared in an award-winning short documentary film
- Developed a reality series and actually pitched it
- Won money in Vegas on a nickel slot machine
- Spoke on a panel at a workshop
- Won the 1-mile Turkey Trot in junior high
- Successfully enjoyed myself at a house party at which two guys I was dating simultaneously (but didn’t know about each other) were both in attendance
- Collected thousands of diapers for needy families in Los Angeles
- Married for love
- Made a delicious strawberry cake for my son’s 3rd birthday
- Dug 5 gallons of steamer clams out of the sand in Baja, Mexico
- Learned how to build a campfire
- Saw the bio-luminescence in the waves at Point Mugu
- Served as bridesmaid in 6 weddings
- Got a near-perfect score on the Latin Achievement Test
- Learned what a true friend is…and what it’s not
- Gave my children a good relationship with my extended family, from 3,000 miles away
- Adopted a dog and 2 cats from the animal shelter
- Became a writer who works at home
- Learned how to salvage and protect digital files…the hard way…several times
- Kissed a girl
Lovely post by a lovely lady. Don’t expect me to write a 60-point one in a few years.
Happy Birthday kind and amazing Kim. So glad to call you my friend 🙂
Not a bad life you are living, girl!
And I gave birth to her! How lucky am I???
What an awesome list! I think I may need to add some of those to my bucket list as well! Hope you have a wonderful time this weekend with whatever ur hubby planned!
Love the post and am so glad to have you as a friend I believe that we became friends when you turned 18, how lucky am I?
(I looked at the picture from the reunion and my first thought was hey, I’m not in the picture. 2nd thought, was damn I look so much better at 40 than I did at however old we were then.)
Happy birthday my friend!
Aw, love this post Kim. A very happy four-oh, and wishing you 140 amazing new things that you’ll do in the next forty. If not sooner.
Happy, happy, birthday my friend.
What a lovely post and a rich life… so far!
Here is to 40 more.
xoxo
Tiffany
I love this! And yes…40 feels exactly like 39! : )
I have to repeat what everyone else said: love this post! A very happy birthday, Kim!
Happiest Birthday EVER. CHEERS.
Love this list and love you! Welcome to your 40s…I’ve been here a few years and have found it to be fantastic.
And…once I went to a formal in college with 2 different boys. They didn’t know about each other. I have no idea how I pulled that off.
I was going to send all sorts of birthday wishes, but then I saw Ilina’s comment and that’s all I can think about.
40 will be good. What you will lack in skin tone, you’ll make up for in wisdom. Your list of wonderful life events is going to more than double, I’m sure.
Happy big 4-0 Kimmy!!!!!! Enjoy your week!
Happy Birthday. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you. I think you need to come out for more slot play in Vegas soon. 🙂
Totally, absolutely love this. HAPPY, HAPPY 40th KTP! Here’s to the next 40 – and beyond!!!
Love it! I am inspired to write my own.