10958 Days

Yep. Today is my birthday. 10958 days. 1560 weeks. 360 months. 30 years. It seems really weird to be able to actually say that I am thirty. It seems so, well, old. Not like liver spots and laugh lines old, but it is still much older than I feel on the inside. My grandmother used to tell me that she would catch a glimpse of her 70 year old self in the mirror and be surprised by the reflection because she didn't feel like an old woman. I can totally relate. I don't feel like an adult even though I can look around and see all kinds of evidence of adulthood. Maybe that just means that I have a young spirit.

I have done a lot of random and kind of interesting things over the last 30 years - including, but not limited to, the following:

In no particular order...

• Taught myself to juggle
• Had three adorable children
• Learned to knit
• Graduated with a BFA in illustration
• Joined the Army
• Learned just enough Arabic to forget it all
  
• Eaten Ethiopian food
• Lived in NY, NC, AL, OK, and CA
• Graduated summa cum laud from high school
• Visited France (twice), Switzerland, Italy, and Monaco
• Got married (quite happily, I might add)
• Played the role of a star in the school Christmas play (I wasn't The Star in a play, I was a Star - the five pointed kind)
• Watched all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - in order
• Seen multiple shows on Broadway
• Visited Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, New Orleans, and countless other cities - even Pensacola
• Watched countless hours of Dora the Explorer
• Learned to love sushi
• Waited tables/Bartended
  
• Changed at least 20,000 diapers
• Been an Art teacher
• Done a back handspring (on a trampoline)
• Taught gymnastics and cheerleading
• Created websites from scratch
• Managed a miniature golf place
• Run 2 miles in 16 minutes
• Tap danced on a stage in front of people

I have spent these years in so many different roles and with so many labels: Shannon the smart kid, Shannon the daughter, Shannon the sister, Shannon the theater geek, SPC Woodfin, Shannon the cheerleader, Mommy, Shannon the wife, Mrs. Woodfin, Shannon the artist. I am really interested to see the adventures that my 30's have in store for me because when it comes down to it, 30 isn't old at all.