Tomorrow, June 24 2015, I turn thirty. Of course, transitioning from one age decade into another does not have to be a pivotal occurrence. But for me, this shift is lining up with several other shifts and I truly do feel on the verge of a new chapter.

My twenties have been pretty incredible. I wanted to give them their due diligence, and so I am going to share with you twenty things I’m glad I did in my twenties.

And of course, in the midst of appreciating my past, I’m also facing forward (Three of Wands) style. And so after I’ve shown gratitude for my twenties, I’ll muse on things I’d like to experience in my thirties (both lists are in no particular order). Happy birthday to me and here we go!

Discovered tarot
Through the powers of synchronicity, I was led to discover tarot and it felt like magic. Tarot has been an integral part of my own self-discovery. Tarot has helped me understand my own inner-workings and given me a deeper appreciation of the complexity of life and human nature. And, of course, tarot led to this very post that you are now reading!

Quit my job and started my own business
This was one of the most terrifying and liberating decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve learned so much and the learning gets deeper every day. This was the right decision for me, and I’m glad I mustered up the grit and love to make it happen.

Lived alone
I like spending time with myself. I like decorating the way I want to decorate. I like knowing that when the trash stinks, it really is my turn to take it out. Even though Ben is a pretty good husband/roommate to have now, I’m grateful for the years I lived alone.

Adopted cats
All through college, my main plan after graduation was to adopt cats (why plan a career when you can plan CATS?). And so that’s what I did. If you know me at all, you know Nanners and Lulu are the loves of my life.

Went on my first ever international trip
My first visit outside of the good ol’ US of A was to Scotland. Whisky, castles, and close encounters with the Loch Ness monster – not to mention that Scottish accent.

Spent my honeymoon in Italy
Gondola rides in Venice. Gawking at Michelangelo’s David in Florence. A tour of the Colosseum in Rome. And gelato, so much gelato (coconut for me)! My honeymoon was an incredible experience.

Visited Australia
Cruising the Great Ocean Road, watching an opera at the Sydney Opera House, witnessing kangaroos get into a boxing match, and visiting one of my best friends in Adelaide – yeah, this was a pretty neat trip.

Got a bachelor’s degree
It may just be a piece of paper, but it’s a piece of paper I’m glad I earned. I double majored in Human Development & Consumer/Community Studies, in case you were wondering.

My wedding day
Despite this being a cliched thing to say, my wedding day was one of the best days of my entire life. Good food, drinks, dancing, friends, family and love – magical.

Ran a 26.2 mile marathon in Big Sur, California
Sure, the training basically took over my life. And sure, I cried a lot. And sure, I’ll probably never run another full marathon (I find half marathons less terrible for my taste). But this was fucking beautiful and I am incredibly proud that I ran a MARATHON.

Met, dated and married Ben
From our first date watching “Up” to our most recent date watching “Inside Out,” my heart is happy to have a partner and best friend by my side.

Wrote a novel
I participated in NaNoWriMo several times during my 20s. Although my novels are very much still in rough draft form, it’s pretty bad ass to know that I WROTE A NOVEL.

Got a tattoo
A little one, on my ankle, that says “no lies, just love.” Words to live by.

Learned how to cook
Thanks to Isa Chandra Moskowitz, I got bit by the cooking bug, big time. Tofu scrambles, stews, curries…give me a knife and some vegetables and I’m a happy camper.

Met Hanson
Hanson has been my favorite band since I was 12, and thanks to a good friend who won meet and greet tickets, I finally got to meet them a couple of years ago. (Listen to my favorite song from their latest album.)

Had many trips and adventures with my friends
From bachelorette parties in Vegas, to beer festivals in Portland, to sitting around eating ice cream on living room floors; I’m grateful for the adventures I’ve had with my friends.

Donated a chunk of money
I mean, I’m not the next Bill Gates or anything, but I’ve tried to prioritize giving money to causes I care about when I have money to give. No More Homeless Pets in Utah is one of my favorite.

Worked through the Artist’s Way
I talk about this book all the time because it completely cracked me open and changed my life. It also started the trajectory that led me to discover tarot and become a tarot professional.

Learned to live with an open-heart
I used to build walls and present myself with a carefully constructed persona. During my 20s, I’ve learned the power of vulnerability and authenticity. Living with an open-heart is a daily unfolding, and it is beautiful.

Got over the fear of what other people think
Even though I’ve always WANTED to be a confident bad ass, I used to devote WAY too much energy to what people think. I now trust myself first and foremost. If something is really important and a genuine reflection of who I am, I will do it regardless of what tongue-wagging may result.

Finish my novel
I intend to get my baby from rough draft format to readable format.

Write a tarot book
Because writing + tarot = my life.

Visit my great grandparent’s town in Ireland
As I get older, I’m more interested in my ancestry. My great grandparents came to the US from Ireland, and it would be amazing to see their original home.

Go to New York City and eat a (vegetarian) hotdog in Central Park
My dad grew up in NYC, yet I’ve never been there. Gotta get on that sometime this decade. As for the hot dog, I feel like that’s just what you do in NYC and I’m a vegetarian, so there you have it.

Drink a cocktail in Hawaii
Also hike and see volcanos and stuff!

Buy a house
I am a Cancer, I am a homebody, and I am itching to find and settle into my dream home.

Adopt a dog
Probably a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd (I don’t know how Nanners and Lulu will feel about this, though…)

Grow a garden
Kale! Cilantro! Basil! Tomatoes! I want to grow all the things!

Brew my own kombucha
Because it is delicious and makes my tummy happy.

Learn Astrology
Even long before I was sucked head-first into the realm of tarot, I was interested in Astrology. But I still haven’t really gone into the Astrology rabbit hole. Soon.

Foray into public speaking (probably about tarot)
This makes me nervous and excited at the same time. I am a much stronger writer than speaker, yet I have visions of speaking to people about the intersection of tarot, personal growth, and creativity.

Eat at Modern Love Omaha
This is a restaurant owned by my favorite cookbook author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She’s basically my culinary hero and I reaalllly want to go to Omaha just to taste this magical food.

Fine-tune my hummus recipe
Okay, this is kind of silly. Hummus is one of the only things I make without using someone else’s recipe, and mine needs a few tweaks to be utterly perfect.

Run a destination half-marathon
I want to go somewhere beautiful and run 13.1 miles because why not?

Go where the wind takes me
Have goals, but be flexible.

Continue to make decisions based on my core desired feelings
I want to feel magical, spacious, connected and solid. That’s how I’ll decide what to do in each moment. I wrote a post about using tarot along with core desired feelings and you can find that here.

Get another tattoo
It’s already being planned.

Dye my hair an unnatural color
I’m thinking purple. Or turquoise. Or fire-engine red.

Nurture old connections, welcome new connections
“Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold.”

Give more to causes I care about
I want to integrate giving into my business model.

Go on a trip with my niece and sister
I have a seven year old niece and she is a creative, adventurous spirit. I want to go hiking or camping or something otherwise exciting with her and my sister.

Continue to prioritize my relationship with myself
Because the more I connect with me, the more capable I am of showing up fully in all aspects of my life.

Serve as a mentor to others
I have already been taking the initial steps, and soon I will be offering my services as a mentor. I want to help others explore their own answers as they navigate their own creative, spiritual and business paths.

Finish blogging through the Wild Unknown tarot
This has been an enriching experience, and it will be so rewarding when I’ve officially posted each and every card.

Grow my ‘Tarot and the Human Experience’ series
This series has challenged me to dive deeply into my thoughts about tarot and how it pertains to my experiences as a human. I have more installments planned and it’s going to be good stuff.

Be even more ME
Keep letting go of what’s not me. Keep making room for more love and light to shine through.

Write more poetry
I used to write poetry in my teens and early twenties, and my heart yearns to pick this practice up again during the next chapter of my life.

Stand knee deep in the flow of life
Allow myself to feel. Be open to the flow. The goods, the bads, the thrills, the bumps, the currents.

Make my own small contribution to saving the world
Through tarot. Through stories. And likely through other avenues that are making their way to me as we speak.

Show up fully and be unabashedly ALIVE
Throughout it all: be present. Be awake. Be well and truly alive.

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