30 Days to Turning 30...5 to go

Today I participated in Junior Achievement and went to teach at a local school. This was the first time I have ever done this event and definitely had different expectations of what it was. I actually became a teacher for the day with detailed lesson plans that last a whole day with many moving pieces and parts to it.

I am not a teacher and know the job is valuable and under-valued in society, but this event was just a heavy reminder of this for me. I had 3rd grade and it was exhausting. The students were normal Age 8 kids with a lot of energy and a range of aptitudes in the class that makes it hard to teach in a uniform style. Welcome to the real world!

I thought this played in nicely to the 20 year old story from my youth of yesterday! The life of a nearly 30 year old continues....at least I still know I don't want to be a teacher!

30 Days to Turning 30...6 to go

So I was talking with some people today and telling a story from when was a kid....and I said "yeah that was like 10 years ago"

And the other person went "don't you mean 20 years ago"

And I of course immediately rebutted and then paused and went "Oh s**t, it was 20 years ago"

The fact that I have stories from 20 years ago was amazing and also hit me like a brick. A stark realization that I am indeed turning 30. And I have stories that are 20 years old!

30 Days to Turning 30...7 to go

I think I am in shock today....I had an effective meeting that lasted 6 minutes! Yep, 6 minutes instead of the scheduled 30 minutes!
We all knew why we were there, got to the point understood what we wanted and needed, and set dates to do it....done! Wow! Still in shock....as this rarely happens!

I finished the day by going to a bar and talking with colleagues...I made myself talk life and not work...a hard thing for me...but in the end I want to get to know people and not the work they do, so was more rewarding.

30 Day to Turning 30...8 to go

Today I attended a Griot speaker series with Kenneth Coleman as the guest speaker. I found the concept of a "griot" really interesting...the person in the family that is the storyteller in African communities.

Link to Kenneth Coleman: http://fisher.osu.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/dac/coleman

Kenneth then went on to talk about life, business, and leadership using stories which left me feeling much more engaged and a higher appreciation for how people learn. I know a few people that use this concept and will be making a bigger effort to do this myself in future.

A big takeaway for me was self-validation (which I've been focusing on for a while, see an earlier post). One of the most important things Kenneth shared was the power of networking. He mentioned things to make sure you reach out to connect and not just to get. Giving out without expecting to receive is important. This is a hard concept for me with my upbringing, but when he went into the story and examples I found that I am good at this....and hence validated myself that I am a good person and provide value to other people.

So a nice thing to think about as I turn 30...that I provide value to other people.

30 Days to Turning 30...9 to go

Is it uh-oh or hooray with going to single digits to the big birthday!
I'm going with hooray...and leave it at that!

30 Days to Turning 30...10 to go

The life of the "achiever"....I have to get things done and marked off the list to feel like the day was worthwhile. The problem is, after a nice long weekend break, there tends to be a lot on the list from what was not done over the weekend as well as a shortened week.

So starting nice and stressed out already... Then I go to start the car and " ". That's right, nothing. The battery was dead. Karma or bad luck you can decide. I only had the car fixed the week before after a tyre blowout and now a new adventure.

So I spent 1/2 the day getting it fixed at a garage before I even got to work...add the layer on that stress cake.

At some point, I turned to myself and said....you're turning 30...get over the stress already...so that's why I'm writing this and going home.

30 Days to Turning 30...11 to go

So I'm turning 30 soon and have been trying to live life to the fullest for the past few months. I went to New Zealand in December on an action adventure tour and pushed myself to the physical limits....was fantastic!

I recently got passed this article (headline above) about a student that did the same activity I did on Christmas Day, river surfing. It was indeed the most extreme event I've ever done and my husband, DrN went under in exactly the same place as Emily did. He was under for 20 seconds and had to be rescued to come up from under the water. He managed to get through the rest of the river surfing trip but was as white as a sheet and was spewing up water for the rest of the trip.

Reading this makes me both really thankful that he survived as well as stupid that I had all this false bravado and sense of safety. "That's what the life preservers are for" and "they wouldn't take us on this if it was really that bad".

Well, sometimes things are dangerous, and you have to assess the risks you take, and not assume that because others do it, so should you.

Today I am simply thankful that I have the opportunity to turn 30...

My love and sympathy goes out to Emily's family and friends.

Full Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-562818/The-pictures-beautiful-British-student-killed-bodyboarding-New-Zealand.html

30 Days to Turning 30...12 to go

So this might sound crazy to some of you, but to others it is completely sane. I need to have a plan to turn $1m into $100m. There, it's out! I read that San Francisco magazine article in full and it was crazy, there are more millionaires in the area than many other places in the world, so having $1m net worth is no longer a lot. Houses in the $5m range have higher demand now...in this "housing bubble" period...and more details on how the rich are spending their money.

Read the Article yourself (but be ready to weep): http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/seven-year-rich

It also made me realize something...I reached many of my life goals a few years ago and have been searching for new aspirational life goals since then. And just stating "I'm going to have $100m" is not really cutting it...by when...how...etc.. It does not have to have all the details but it does have to have something more so that I can visualize it and dream about it.

Reading the magazine gave me some possibilities into becoming the $100m-aire from the $1m-aire....Silicon Valley is the land of start-ups, bio-tech, web 2.0, VC's, entrepreneurs....a lot going for it. So I have some thoughts to help me think about my next life goals around these areas....but nothing set, just areas to explore...I promise to share more when I have clarity...promise.

So turning 30 could be the turning point for me to find "the new dream" ...definitely something to look forward to.

30 Days to Turning 30...13 to go

Weekend has arrived again and I like to catch up and read magazines....but definitely not good for the nearly 30 year old person.
First one is an adventure travel magazine that has 8 explorers going to the Arctic....all under the age of 30. They announced all their great adventures and awards at their various ages from 18 - 28. Not so great for my ego...
Then the next magazine is a urban San Francisco magazine and on the front cover it has a 28 year old man who is a high school drop-out that has sold 2 start up companies and is worth over $100 million. Lovely...
So how do I convince myself that I am the best I can be, extraordinary even, when I'm reminded so often about the achievements of the other people that have more at a younger age....hard for me in my early mid-life crisis...with only 14 days to go to turning 30.

Not sure what else to say today....these magazines kind of brought me down...
And then my cat has officially turned into a mouse killer...bringing 3 dead mice to the house in 3 days...all because his collar broke off, but I got a new one today, so no more dead mice, they're free! At least that's something to be happier about.

30 Days to Turning 30...14 to go

I went to an interesting event last night, it was based on a personality assessment called the "enneagram" system. I only got a very short introduction and got the sense that there is a long history on this. But it was quite interesting to learn that human beings can be distilled into similar personalities or motivations and in this case, 9 of them.
I "typed" myself fairly quickly as well as seeing this in other people I know and work with. However, I could not type my husband at all. Is he a 5 or a 3? A 6 with a 9 heart string?
I left feeling sad that I don't know the man I love the most in the world.....but then again it's just a personality classification....and I know my husband in real life.

I guess that turning 30 means I know more about myself than I used to, as well as trusting that I know my husband in my heart and don't need a classification on him.
Happy Friday...

30 Days to Turning 30...15 to go

So today has been a day of innovation! The place I work has been doing Idea Jams where you get together with a few other people and work on an idea all day, present it in 2 minutes, and get a chance to make it a reality! Pretty cool, especially for someone like me that doesn't directly work with customers or products!
So I turned up today and just said "anyone need a team member" and I went through a "match.com" service and found a team! Wa-la! Knew nothing about the other people or the idea, but had a great time just jamming and brainstorming. The team chose me to present, so was a cool opportunity to speak really fast in 2 minutes!
At the end of the day now, watching the innovation from others....really cool what people can do in a day....and what a great way for a company to encourage innovation.

So to turning 30...going back to an old theme...you can still teach an old girl new tricks!

30 Days to Turning 30...16 to go

It's time to grow some balls! Not in the "be a b**ch" approach, not in the "bull in a china shop" approach.....but no more "bending over backwards" to solve for all, no more "let's try your approach over mine". I'm good, I get stuff done, and I get it done well. I have lots of tools and tricks that are effective and high performing. So you know what...I'm growing balls. As you can tell it's been a bad day and I've been railroaded....aaarrrgh!

Growing old does not always mean growing wiser...but you do tend to get hair in new places (ears, nose,...), so I'll leave as I started, as I grow old and turn 30 - I'm going to grow some big fat hairy balls!

30 Days to Turning 30...17 to go

Most people have a life motto...I've been using this one for the past few years and talks about my mood today...

"Life is like a roller coaster...enjoy the ride."

It means that I am an emotional person and I have big highs and bottom lows. Today I woke up and was not feeling excited and energetic, so to work hard at it to make it happen. I turn up the music in the car and listen to 'da beats. Had to definitely crank it up an extra notch today...but did find that at the end of the day things were happening and I'd hit the groove.

So how does this tie onto turning 30? I've definitely noticed that it takes longer to get into the groove as I get older....will it change at age 30?

Oh, I also watched a cute movie called "PS: I Love You" and it had the actress turning 30 in the movie (Hilary Swank). Made me think there could be some life in the old girl yet!

30 Days to Turning 30...18 to go

hmm, today I woke up and was feeling sick. So not much to report except I've been sitting around and drinking fluids to help me feel better. Gotta keep up my energy ready for the Big 3-0 day!

30 Days to Turning 30...19 to go

Fighting those urges of turning 30 and wanting to park my bum on the sofa and not go anywhere....however as the weather was so nice, I wanted to park my bum outside in the garden. Problem...no furniture in the garden.

A few weeks ago, the garden project began...simple project, lay concrete, stamp it and color it with a pattern. That was 3 weeks ago on a 1 week project, let's just say the contractor chosen wasn't the best decision on alot of fronts! That indeed was a life lesson...but not one I'm really wanting to share at this moment...it's that line of "you'll laugh about it one day"...just not today.

Anyways, I wanted to park my bum but needed the furniture to do so...at the age of 30 I've realized you have to decorate with a "theme" and can't just buy bits and pieces otherwise you get a mish-mosh of stuff (see other rooms on home!). So the adventure begins....5 hours to go to get a theme, research, visit garden stores, and purchase...in order to get my bum on a seat in time for dinner!

Well, I did it and dragged Dr N on the adventure. We even had some fun in the process and caught some sunshine! So hooray for turning 30 and still having adventures! (oh, and dinner was lovely watching the sunset with some mahi-mahi tacos and a cool beer!)

30 Days to Turning 30...20 to go

oooh it's getting close...only 20 days to go. I think I'm still nervous, will it feel differently when I wake up or will it be just another day? Plus Dr N is giving me little clues as to the birthday adventures...that I have to take the day off or it will be memorable. Writing it here is just adding to the pressure for him...he can take it!

It's the weekend today, so a nice lazy day chilling out and watching tv.

I'm a member of Blockbuster video and have all those dvd's that come to the home...currently watching all the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" series. It's focused on sexually devious crimes and when you watch too many in a row you get a little twisted. I had funny dreams last night with them all....but still woke up and watched more!

Lesson of the day to turning 30....don't watch too many episodes in a row of Law & Order!

30 Days to Turning 30...21 to go

Nothing like a visit to the hair salon to unwind....they truly are like a therapist and hear the updates every 8-10 weeks....what will happen, what about that, what you planning for the Big 3-0?!

It turns out that both my colorist and stylist turned 30 this year so had their words of wisdom...."I stressed about it for months before and afterwards, but now I'm over it" (Feb was the Big 3-0 month)....and "I'm the baby of the group, so no difference for me".

At the same time the trip to the stylist is a let down. You go and feel like a princess...all beautiful and made up and then when you leave the salon, you want to be treated like this and celebrate the "good hair day" while it lasts. Unfortunately the husband has not yet learnt this concept, even after 14 years, so looks like I'll go home to a sofa and sweats. Not very princess-like.

But at least at being nearly 30 I can enjoy the hair salon and not worry too much about the price tag!

30 Days to Turning 30...22 to go

A little adventure last night. I got in the car and started driving when a noise started. Oh dear, I think and look to see a flat tire! Wow, it's a first for me at the age of nearly 30! Had no idea what to do - can I drive, do I call AAA? So typical woman (yeah, definitely typecast here) I call the husband!

"Drive to the gas station and fill with air"

I drive to the gas station....a nervous wreck the whole way with the blinkers on and driving slowly. Can't make the air work....not filling it up. Call the husband again...tried again....you get the picture.

End up calling AAA and what a great service - didn't make me feel stupid that I could not change a tire, and within 30 minutes someone arrived, changed the tire in 5 minutes, and 5 minutes later I was on my way! I was wow'd (and thankful that I pay for AAA). I was also impressed by the phone agent, really how many times do you say this!, with her questions like "are you in a safe place"!

So lesson learned for turning age 30....you still have new life experiences...even some scary ones!

30 Days to Turning 30...23 to go

What a lovely day in California...it's been nearly 100 degrees and I sat in the sun for a little bit and had lunch. It brought me back to yesterdays reflection of enjoying the little things that bring you pleasure and especially as you get older, enjoy then while you can!
So I sat in the lovely sunshine and daydreamed about all those lovely things I could daydream about...people and places.
I'm getting the garden done at the minute and can't wait until it's ready so I can sit outside in my own garden and daydream there. Not sure on the timing, but hope it's done for the 30th birthday...
Other than that, it's work work work, so I think I shall go back to the daydreaming instead!

30 Days of Turning 30...24 to go

The countdown continues...feeling much less cranky than yesterday as I caught up on some sleep. Today I want to embrace turning 30 by being at the stage of life where I can enjoy the simple pleasures of providing a cup of tea to my husband, Dr N.

On most mornings, I wake up before Dr N and depending on what I sense from his grunts and noises, I then make him a cup of tea or stay well away. I proceed to make a cup of tea in a very deliberate manner that has several steps that must be followed to make a cup of tea for an Englishman...I know you want to know so here it is:

• Must be in a china mug...asking why gets you a scientific explanation of the materials


• Must use English breakfast teabag...imported from England (mother-in-law!)


• Must add water immediately after boiling to ensure the infusion of tea


• Leave the tea to infuse for 60 seconds maximum...any longer and it's over brewed


• Add sufficient milk to match the mood of Dr N. Grumpy mornings = extra milk


• Add sugar...sweet and low is preferred by me to prevent the alternative use of 3 spoons of sugar (yes, 3!)


• Stir and bring to Dr N whilst singing a song to signal it's on it's way, allowing him to "prepare" (i.e. wake up!)

This little pleasure has been repeated many times over the years and is something that brings us great pleasure. We get to wake up and spend a few minutes appreciating the little things we do for each other. So, I guess turning 30 is a chance to have perfected the morning cup of tea!

30 Days to Turning 30...25 to go

The opposite of a Friday....Monday! aarghh, the expectation of all those things to do and time lines to match...at least there is the rest of the week to get it done!
In the adventure of turning 30...the lesson today is...I need to sleep better on Sunday! LOL! Yep, really, Monday is better when you are wide awake and not dreaming about climbing back into a warm snuggly bed. Not sure that is a lesson about turning 30 or just the feeling of the day...but it sure does impact everything I've done today.
Cranky Bearded Lady signing off!

30 Days to Turning 30...26 to go

Yeah, I know, I know...I repeated a day. But for marketing reasons I stated 30 when it was really like 33 days, so I'll have to repeat a couple of days...
No life lessons today really to share....but some cool technology I found through Google....it's a video creator called Animoto that creates little videos from your photos...wicked!
Here's a little video homage to me turning 30...so cool I think it might have to come back on the actual Big 3-0 with a new one! Love the music selection as well...
http://animoto.com/play/CkesoTsTHDbI8W42v90P8A

30 Days to Turning 30...26 to Go

It's Friday...Hooray...always a different buzz to the air in the workplace on this day. People are wearing jeans, have a lunch out of the office, and enjoy a drink at the end of the day...aaah Friday.

In the countdown to turning 30 adventure, I attended a "Mentors" seminar last night. All about having people in our life that we can learn from as well as making sure we are also teaching our skills to others. One person asked "what do you do when your mentors start dying?" which caused us to laugh but reminded me of the fact that we all have to go at some point....hopefully many many more years past 30 for me!

I talked with the panel leader at the end and we talked about Millennial / Gen Y attitudes with Mentors and she asked me "are you a Gen Yer or Gen Xer?" This is the dilemma I face as a nearly 30 year old...no longer so identifiable as the "new kid on the block" but not distinguished enough to be "experienced in life"...

So I leave today thinking that 30 is like the "Twix"...the period after Christmas when all the fun of opening presents is over ...and before the New Year with all the new possibilities that may yet become.

30 Days to Turning 30...27 to go

What's new in the life of a nearly 30 year old? I went to a Personal Finance lunch sponsored by our work's women network. We all sat around...and yep I as the youngest by a few years and the biggest topic in the room was retirement planning. What's enough? How do I invest?


I am quite finance savvy (or at least think I am) and also understand the world or mortality...or should I say the longevity of life from my life as an actuary (another time...another place).



The consultant shared pictures about the "old retirement" and "new retirement" model. The picture here is not the same...but good enough. Retirement is no longer stopping work at 65. Else you can never really save enough to live the same for the next 30 years. Yep, I'm expected to live in "retirement" for the same # years I've existed so far! Another "30 year phenomenon"....So I gotta think differently what retirement is and how it happens.

An ideal retirement....

• I'll live on a sunny island (like Hawaii!) with Dr N (Mr Bearded Lady)
• Own and run a business remotely when ever I want to work...and not have to work
• And can afford to spend money as I want

All at Age 30...so only 27 days to go!

30 Days of Turning 30...28 to go

Today has been a good day at work, had a couple of great conversations with my boss and a peer about life and the journey's we take. Also, had an interesting lunch conversation that caused me to stop and think...and ties in with my Age 30 conversion.

I work in technology and it's a relatively fast paced environment which attracts like-minded people and I suppose looking at it, there is not as great a spread of age as there is in other industries. Probably looking at most people in their 30-40's.
Now the world is shifting with Baby Boomers retiring and Millenials coming in, I thought we are all on board with the change, I in fact work extensively with the Gen Yers (and also just manager to squeak in there myself!). But at lunch I had a colleague make a comment "well, he's really young to be in that job at 44" Wow! Kind-of blew me away that someone would think that was young....and here I am stressing about Age 30!
And the next comment was "I like to work with X because he's experienced and seen alot more in life" referring to another leader that is close to 60.
hmmm...was eye-opening and a reality check that there is alot of living to do after 30 and I'm still a spring chicken!

30 Days to Turning 30...29 to go

29 days to go...another day down and still breathing.
Work is crazy busy at the minute which keeps the mind on other things, like reports, process, emails etc...
Did enjoy myself with writing a little short story during a computer re-boot...entering a little competition on "keepin' it real". I'll add to this blog at another uncrazy time.

What else is going on in the life of a nearly 30 year old....I wrote a "commitment letter" to myself for things I want to work on for the year, it was generated by work but did enjoy the chance to reflect and make a statement of where I want to be in the future. Here's the high points for you all to keep me on track:

• Accept myself for who I am - not as easy as this sounds!
• Be a better leader through knowing and using my passion and vision
• Be part of great teams that are built on trust and respect

Ta-ra for now!

The 30 Days to Turning 30

Here I am, a 29 year old facing the precipice of turning the big 3-0! I’ve been dreading this for a while, but a few months ago it started to be come a reality and I physically felt my breath catch and my heart stop a beat at the thought of turning 30.

Why should I care, Age is just a number, Age is a state of mind, 40 is the new 30….blah blah blah. The rational part of my mind agrees, for as an actuary I know I have not even reached my expected half-life.
But the American modern woman in me sees it differently. I turn on the TV and the shows are full of the young ones. Jennifer Lopez is out, Miley Cyrus is in. The models on ANTM have to be below age 27. The contestants on American Idol have to be less than 30. You see the people come on the show and say “this is my last chance”. And what about the questionnaires you fill out every time you buy something, go somewhere “Age 20-29” is no more. It will now be “Age 30-39” Wow, it’s like I will have jumped into a whole new universe overnight, all for turning 30.

So, I decided today to face my fears and put it out there….I’m turning 30…..just caught my breath a bit but still going.


To catch you up on the adventure to turning 30.....
I've lost weight - 13 pounds in total..hooray!
I've "freshened" my face with a face peel - that literally made my face peel for a week after with red skin and puffiness - so not really the result I was looking for!
I've faced the fact that I'm turning 30....and embraced it with a Blog

Here comes the Lady Of The Beard....turning 30 in a blog near you!