Five Years Later
Saturday morning I sat on the floor with a wrench, reattaching the legs of a small table in preparation for my 35th birthday party that night. As the tabletop lay flipped upside-down on the floor, I noticed a piece of tape, with a little bit of tablecloth, still attached to the table's underside.
"You know," I said to myself, "I think the last . . . well, only . . . time this table has had a tablecloth taped to it was for my 30th birthday party. Wow."
Five years, of what has easily been the best slice of my life so far. It really prompted me to think of all the things that have happened in this 30 – 35 year range, some big, some small, some public, some intimate, but all things I can't imagine who I'd be today without them.
In the past five years, I have:
Spent a summer in China. Visited Europe twice. One of the trips included a corner of Europe very few outsiders have been to. The size of my world has increased immensely.
Moved to a different city (which I'd really only done once before, despite lots of traveling), in a different state/province, and in a different country, no less. I spent less than 3 months of my 30th year in Dallas, so this 30-35 block really feels like "The Canada Years."
Met my wife. Got married.
Lived in a cool downtown loft (for the second time, but this time in a much hipper city). Bought a house.
Reached a career goal of becoming an IT Architect. Wondered what you do when you hit your goal, besides making new ones.
Learned what was primarily behind my always feeling so tired and crappy (my wheat sensitivity). Changed my diet. Changed my life.
Met a whole crew of new friends. Most people are happy to have one set of good friends. I'm really lucky to have three: the Lubbock friends from school, the Dallas friends, and now the Vancouver friends. It certainly helps for those Facebook gimmick things where knowing lots of people is an advantage.
Transitioned from being a music creator to a music consumer. Some parts of me look back longingly to the days when I had more creative music spirit in me, but on the other hand, I've also found so much joy in my music collection: seeking out new bands, learning where musicians are from and how it impacts their sound, and introducing people I know to new and interesting sounds. I received my first iPod on my 30th birthday, and am now on my third one (an 80GB Classic, which just filled up this week).
Found a new hobby and lots of interesting people through European style board gaming.
Continued to refine my interest in cooking. In university, I had two or three "famous" things, and a few passable ones. In my 25 – 30 years, I got really good at a number of specific dishes. 30 – 35 really marked my "iron chef" period, where I can pride myself on making something really memorable out of nearly anything in the house. (This has the downside that when I'm really tired and picky, the only person who's going to make a meal to my own specifications, allergy issues included, is me.)
"You know," I said to myself, "I think the last . . . well, only . . . time this table has had a tablecloth taped to it was for my 30th birthday party. Wow."
Five years, of what has easily been the best slice of my life so far. It really prompted me to think of all the things that have happened in this 30 – 35 year range, some big, some small, some public, some intimate, but all things I can't imagine who I'd be today without them.
In the past five years, I have: