Conversation with a younger me

Thank you to all of you who sent me birthday wishes yesterday--rest assured that they all made me smile :)

So, I've been thinking about this "30" thing for a while now and have found myself wondering what my 20-year-old self would have said to or about the 30-year-old that I've become. I think that one of the reasons that I've been thinking this is that my 20th birthday has been floating in my head since that is when Matt and I kind of officially declared our interest in each other (or something like that). I just recall a party in a box (that my mom would always send me), an assorted cheesecake, 517 Scheele, a green inflatable chair, fabulous girlfriends, and Matt and Adam showing up late because they had just driven back from a Van Halen concert in Milwaukee. How things have changed...the highlight of yesterday: buying dog food and a fish for my desk at school. Humf.

Anyway, this is what I've come up with for my conversation with my 20-year-old self:

I see we've put on some weight. Yeah, thanks for pointing that out...lets blame it on the baby. Wow, a baby. I guess that works. Yeah, he's pretty cool. And, you'll be happy to know that we managed to get to London and Rome before the whole baby thing. Well, that's good. So, I take it we're married. Yup, we keep this one. He's a good guy--he drives us freakin' crazy sometimes, but he's a good guy. We live in NH? Yeah, I know that wasn't the plan, but it's really not so bad this time around. We've got a nice little house and I've got a good job. So, the teaching thing is working out? Why, yes, I do rather love teaching. Where did we get our masters degree? We're not going to talk about that...it's on the list of things to do in our 30's. How's the fam? Great! Folks are wonderful and still working. Max is getting married. What?! I know, we all grow up so fast, huh? It's okay, though, Jackie is awesome and we love her. He wants to be a doctor, too. But, he's a Ghostbuster. Well, he's going to be Dr. Max. Oh, and the Grandmas died. Understandable. We miss them a lot. Yeah, they're pretty cool ladies. So, are these really the best years of our life? Well, they're easy living years: your bills are paid, your food gets cooked for you, and you live in a rarified world where everyone is very much like you. But, I don't know that I'd want to go back there now. These are pretty good years too: marriage has gotten functional (most days), we've figured out the job situation, and this kid is just about the greatest thing in the whole world. Good to know. Any advice? You will survive your engagement, be wary of Morgan, and watch the credit cards. But, otherwise we've got no regrets.

I wonder what the 40-year-old me will be like...