30th Birthday

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable day. It's funny though to hear all the hype about turning 30. To me it was just another day, and no big deal to be 30. I don't feel any different than I did at 23, 27 or 29. I guess it helps that I just keep getting smarter and better looking the older I get! It really is all about the state of mind.

This morning while I was getting ready for work the Tim McGraw song "My Next 30 Years" began playing on itunes. I thought it quite coincidental that it played today, but it got me thinking about my first 30 years. They have been awesome and I wouldn't change them at all. It is interesting to note though that the majority of my first 30 years were occupied as a student. While I wish I could have gone skiing more, done more rock climbing, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, backpacking and wakeboarding, I realize that the sacrifice of school was to facilitate my playing in the future. Now that I have a great career that I love and gives me time off, I can afford to go play outdoors with my family. So, all the headaches and nightmares associated with the academic world were well worth the past 7 months and the many years that are still to come.

Thank you to my wife for making it a great day, and to Tucker and Aubrey for being so cute. Also, thanks to my parents and siblings for their birthday calls that they gave me. It's nice to feel loved.
In honor of my birthday, I borrowed the lyrics from Tim McGraw to write my own version of "My Next 30 Years". If you're familiar with the song, the changes should be quite obvious.




I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the studying that I’ve done
Maybe now I’ve conquered all my academic fears
And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I’m gonna forget about test scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness away from books and tests
Figure out just what I really love the best
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna try and gain some weight
Eat a few more spare ribs and grill the perfect steak
Instead of cramming books I’ll kill a few more deer
Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a red-neck family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here ,In my next thirty years