30 what?

How do I feel about turning 30? I've always loved birthdays, and this one's no different. In fact, I had my big weird freak-out at 29 when I decided to run a marathon. Since I got that out of the way, I really loved turning 30. 

A few pieces to the puzzle of my life have come together in a way that leads me to be more optimistic about this decade:

I know there will continue to be setbacks, but I received two big opportunities just before my birthday. I was accepted to a writing workshop in Hindman, Kentucky for Appalachian writers. And I was invited to write a column on Hothouse Magazine, the first piece of which posted today. A writer's life is filled with waiting and rejection, both of which I've learned to deal with. Just makes good news like this so much sweeter.

Also, I feel as though I'm growing into my voice as a writer. It may be naive to think so, but I'm going with it anyway. My twenties were filled with untested confidence, then misgivings, then questioning/discarding everything, and now rebuilding and healing. Partly because of all that, and partly because I went through a magical, supportive, and challenging MFA program at Lesley University, my writing has changed drastically, as have my sensibilities and sensitivities. I spent my 20s becoming comfortable in my own skin, and I think I'm a better writer for it. 

Still there's a long way to go, I hope.

Look how cute Robert Frost is...

[Robert Frost, poet, poses with his birthday cake on his 85th birthday]

...If I can keep reaching for that truer voice inside me, keep growing, keep hustling for new opportunities, maybe if I make it to 85, I'll have half the spark this guy did.