Countdown...

So it seems I am going to have to change the name of my blog very soon. T-5 days and I am officially leaving my 20's. Of course, that means there is even less time until our cruise! 2 days to be exact. Two days from now we'll be setting sail in the Gulf of Mexico, drinking a fruity over the top cocktail, soaking up the sun and enjoying our first official vacation - alone. I can't wait! I'll have another post about that though...this one is aimed at trying to understand what makes ME happy...

I am much more comfortable with the thought of turning 30. Last year when I turned 29 I was a little freaked out at the thought of crossing over out of my 20's. As time has gone on over the past year I have learned to embrace it and relish in the fact that I get to start a whole new decade in a very happy place. I suppose my fears were mostly due to the fact that for the longest time I was playing the 'keeping up with the Jones' game. You know, watching everyone around me graduate high school, go to college, get a job, get married, get a house, have kids...what I came to realize was, I didn't like that game. I felt like I was falling behind all of my friends and in a way letting them down. But I don't like doing things just because other people are, or think I should be...I see people who did things that way, and I realize that doesn't mean happiness. Doing things to a certain timeline or obtaining 'things' wasn't going to make my life better or make me happy. So I asked the question of what does make me happy? The answers are surprisingly simple and in a way, very complex...

Home. I love being home and doing anything. Cooking, cleaning, playing with my dogs, having a glass of wine and watching the sunset on the porch with Luke, entertaining or doing nothing... Being home makes all of those things that much more enjoyable.

Love. I love being in love. I know, typical girly response. But it's true. I love love. Romantically, I have what everyone should get to have at least once in their life. It took me a long time to finally get it, but ever since I did, I couldn't ask for more. I have found the best friend, the partner, the comedian, the hardworking, family loving individual that I was meant to find that wants to make me happy and in turn I want to make him happy every day more then the next...

And I have love for and from my friends and family as well - another intangible thing that means so much.

Family. I have watched my family change quite a bit over the course of my life. From losing grandparents, to dramatic arguments, to new additions. I have been fortunate to be welcomed by and in turn expand my family through Luke's and it's great. Families can be very complex, but all in all should be very simple. Love them, support them and value them b/c in the end, they are all you really have. There have been times where I know I have taken my family for granted and looking back I regret those. They are the times we have lost now. All I can do is go forward valuing each and every opportunity we get together. Whether that be an email, a phone call, a dinner, a vacation... Big or small, never take that time for granted.

Success. Success in anything big or small is something that makes me happy. If it's succeeding in working out as much as I want, or achieving a certain goal at work, or financially, success fuels me. I have worked very hard to get where I am and I have had much success in my life. Each success has made me a stronger, more confident, happier person.

So those are the very simple yet very complex things that contribute to my happiness. At this point in my life, I am in a very happy, very comfortable, very blessed place...