The Dirty Thirty?

Is it? People make up all kinds of things these days to hide the fact that they are indeed, getting older, and yes, it kinda sucks! You hear, "40 is the new 30" but does anyone really know what this means?? What was the old 30 then?

My mantra in my post-25 years has always been, I got a late start on life, because in a way, I did. I feel behind the curve on the whole, marriage, kids, savings account, house, picket fence thing and feel like I'm running at about a 26/27 year-old pace right now, tops...

That being said, I have always been the type of gal that you'd expect to have a long "before I'm 30 list" and in fact, I used to have one until 30 started getting so damn close! At around 28 I abandoned the formal list realizing I was nowhere near on track to hit my once concrete "before I'm 30" milestones. I've decided that since 40 IS the new 30 (or whatever) I can give myself until I'm at least 35ish to accomplish my "before I'm 30(ish)" goals...

• TRAVEL (travel travel travel)
• Eliminate my credit card debt/raise my credit score
• Have a significant retirement plan of some sort (or as Phoebe Buffet on Friends called it, "a four-oh-wunk"...) {Editors Note - I actually thought I had crossed this one off my list but then found out that while I did open and put money in a ROTH IRA (so proud of myself btw) I actually didn't invest it into any funds so my money is just kinda chillin in there in the same way it would chill in my sock drawer...) but anyway, I digress...
• Have more of my writing published (ultimate dream is to write a book but realistically that will be a retirement project so I'd be happy with a column, article, etc.)
• Dare I say, own a home (or apt, or condo, or...boat?)
• Discover a NEW passion/hobby (as Ive gotten older I've tried to explore new things beyond my old standbys of: beach, music, writing, reading but haven't found anything that really rocks my world yet - suggestions welcome!)

You'll notice that the whole married with kids thing is missing from this list - it's NOT because I don't want that or see it in my future (because I totally do) it's more that I don't want to put it on a list, especially a list that is about me and my personal long term goals and accomplishments.

The other night I was out at a sophisticated club having dinner, drinking good wine and listening to good music. I was caught in the moment and thinking to myself, this is happiness -good food, good wine, good music and good company - don't need much else. Sitting beside me was a child no more than 12 or 13 who looked miserable. She was bored out of her mind and probably silently cursing her parents (also enjoying themselves) for making her "suffer" at this place. If my life had sub-titles, that scene would read "Allie realizes she's an adult now." Guess I'm catching up to my actual age afterall these days...

Getting back on the (blogging) horse...

It's been nearly 6 months since my last post! So long in fact, that I contemplated trashing this blog all together and starting over again. But then I read through the last three years of blog posts (I started this blog back in January of 2008) and realized there is some great stuff on here and I owe it myself and my short list of readers to get back to bloggin'! While reading through old posts, I was able to take a trip down memory lane and relive some really life changing milestones over the past few years. Meeting my boyfriend, changing jobs, adjusting to living in NYC, and missing old friends have all been documented, and after re-reading years later, I was brought back to specific places and moments with vivid clarity.

Ironically, one of my first blog posts, written on February 2nd, 2008, mentions a "neighbor" who is now my boyfriend of almost 3 years. Read the post here if you ever wondered about one of FF and I's first encounters...

As you can imagine, a lot has happened to me in the last 6 months and I'm not going to re-hash it all now. One thing that has inspired me to resurrect this blog though, I will share now. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to go on a cruise with my entire company. We shared a lot about our goals and dreams and I shared my goal to one-day write a book that incorporates a lot of my life stories including my crazy college tales, my summers spent in Newport, RI and my years working at 2 different bowling alleys, as a jell-O shot-girl , a magazine intern, a cocktail waitress, a freelance writer, a publicist...the list goes on. Needless to say, I've been told many times after sharing a funny story or two with new friends, "you need to write a book."

As I shared this passion and dream with my co-workers, many who know my quite well by now, I realized that I have put that dream on the back burner in recent months and have been very caught up in the sometimes "rat-race" of living and working in NYC. I love my job, but haven't stopped to make time for my passions in a while. That being said, as I approach the big 3-0 this summer and come to terms with the fact that many of the things I long ago thought I would have accomplished by 30 may not happen, I am going to focus on accomplishing them in due time, at my own pace, in my own way.

I always tell people that I "got a late start in life" because I didn't get a full-time job until the age of 26. So to be fair, my "by the time I'm 30" list really deserves at least a couple year extension!

On the top of my list is making more time for writing and travel. As I enter a new age bracket, I plan on solidifying these goals and making an iron-clad strategy for accomplishing them. Join me?