Saying goodbye to my twenties!

It's the Sunday before I turn 30 and I'm at the Naperville train station waiting for my train to take me back to Columbia - I came in for the weekend for my cousin's bridal shower. Nick and Kate dropped me off and wished me off with an early happy birthday. As we sat and talked about turning 30 it hit me that I'm not said about turning 30 but that it's a bittersweet milestone for me.

I think for most people your 20's is a time of  learning, finding yourself, and developing/cementing  lifelong friendships. For me it's about all these things as well. As I look back over my 20's, I am baffled by how much I have learned and experienced. During my time in my 20's I attended 3 colleges, graduated college with a degree in marketing, worked for 10 different employers, got a real estate license, managed a shoe store, managed approx 130,000 sq ft of commercial property, was laid off once, participated in 4 weddings, bought a car, invested in real estate, met the love of my life, got married, moved to schaumburg, moved to Missouri, traveled to at least nine places including 2 abroad, met countless people who have changed me,  gained weight, lost weight, learned a lot about food and exercise, developed an appreciation for wine, ran 7 races that I can think of, lost 2 grandparents, developed quite a shoe collection, developed an interest in DIYing and crafting, got to see the Bears go to a superbowl, watched the Cubbies beat the Cardinals on numerous occasions, Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and started this blog...just to name a few.

I'm sure there are countless other memorable and significant events that happened that have changed me and molded me into the person I am today. My 20's will always be a time that I look back on and smile. I have been blessed with a loving and supportive husband, a truly caring and wonderful family, amazing friends and experiences that I will treasure forever.

Weeks like this remind me how blessed I truly am, and to live each day to the fullest. I am looking forward to the next 30 years!

for the love of the run

as many of you know running is one of my hobbies and favorite forms of exercise. my love of running began many years ago when i ran started running track in middle school where i ran the 800m and 1600m. after all these years, it's still a passion of mine.

i've never taken running all that seriously. by that i mean, completing a run with a set time in mind. while i do love surprising myself from time to time in being able to complete a run in less time than i anticipated, i mostly focus on distance and ability to complete that distance. within the last few years participating in races have become a fun and motivational tool for me. in my opinion, it is extremely exhilarating running amongst thousands of people with the same goal in mind.signing up for these races helps me to stay motivated and gives me something to works towards. i've contemplated running a half marathon but mentally and physically i'm not prepared for that quite yet but it's a definitely goal!

to date, the longest distance race i have run has been 5 miles which kris and i have done for the past 3 years - the st. patrick's day run in st. louis. this year we ran the race with good friends, steve and liz letsky! i have to admit i was bit nervous about running side by side with liz because i know she's much more of an avid runner than i am. in the end, she turned out to a be a great running partner! it's always nice to run with someone who you are able to keep pace with but who also challenges and motivates you. i think we were able to keep each other motivated during those times when each of us got those surges of energy. we finished in 49:30 min and i was really happy with this result. we had a great time celebrating st. pat's day with steve and liz and hope to do it again next year!

this past weekend. a group of friends particpated in the glow run - a 5k race at night through downtown columbia. it was a first for me, that is running a race a night. it's more of a fun run/walk (it's not timed) where you adorn yourself with a glow gear and run through a course that includes black lights and dj's along the way. all in all the race was fun and we had a good time hanging out with friends during and after!