Awesomeness Begats More Awesomeness

In about 5 months, I will turn 30; to celebrate I am having a countdown to 30 of bad ass adventures. I'm doing things that I haven't done before and crossing them off the bucket list - skydiving, Vegas, paramotoring, seeing Madonna in concert, seeing BRRUUUUUUCE (did that in April), ziplining down a mountain, Ireland, etc.

And, as I ponder what is to come, I think about all the things I have done that many don't get the chance to:

• I have lived in many different places: Long Island, rural upstate NY, Chesterfield, Blacksburg, Newark, and Albany. All very different - all are me in their own way. All have shaped me.
• I have up and moved on my own for myself - twice. First to Newark for grad school, then up to Albany for work. I recommend everyone have this type of experience at least once.  You learn who you are, how to survive alone, and you find out who you really are.
• I have been apart of JROTC, ROTC, VTCC - all of which have allowed me to meet amazing people and do awesome things. One thing JROTC specifically did for me was give me my voice - it showed me something I was good at and brought me out of my shell. I was quiet and fairly introverted until 9th grade. I gained confidence and a platform - thus opening the door to who I could be.
• I rappelled off 30, 40 and 60 foot walls; I jumped off a helicopter skid. I shot an M-16 on semi-automatic.  I got to wake kids up at 5am with Enter Sandman or Welcome to the Jungle reverberating through Old Rasche.  And I did this with some amazing people - my fellow Hokies, my buds, my fellow Hotel and Foxtrot members.  Nothing will replace them or those experiences we had together.
• Speaking of Enter Sandman, do you get the urge to start jumping when you hear it? I do - thanks to Lane Stadium and my Hokies. I've hit the Hokie stone in the tunnel, rushed the field, seen my Hokies win the ACC in its first year of membership (in Miami), and taken over Miami and Jacksonville with thousands of fellow Hokies.
• I walked down the side of an 18-story building to raise dough for the Special Olympics.
• I've had the best boyfriend - New York. Even with my absence when I moved south, he was always loyal. I've seen Conan's and Jimmy Fallon's shows, been on the Today Show (after discussing leather pants with Kenny Chesney's guitar player), ridden the Central Park carousel, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge... I could go on.
• I remember the World Trade Center before 2001, and even before 1993. I saw the Towers from all angles - from Jersey and Staten Island, from uptown and Battery Park.
• I experienced great sporting events - I was at the last day of Shea, saw John Maine take a no no to the 8th, taken people to their first professional baseball and football games, met Darryl Strawberry, bonded with Mr. Met, braved ice to see the Jets the day after Christmas on MNF.
• I marched on the field for the halftime performance of the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
• I have seen amazing concerts - I've hopped fences to meet Dierks Bentley, jumped on stage to say hi to the Murphys, gotten setlists from various shows, roadtripped to Bristol, DC, Philly, NC, etc with amazing people to catch shows.
• I've had the joy of being Aunt Becca to amazing kiddos - and we've only just begun.
• I've been to a strip club in West Virginia; this wouldn't be at the top of the "awesomeness" pile, but I can say that I did it, and a lot of people probably haven't.
• I have ridden on the back of a Harley.  I am not going to say how I ended up on the back of said Harley with this certain individual, but it was pretty sweet.
• I have loved and been loved completely; it may not have lasted, and it was only for a short while a long time ago, but it happened. Make sure you find that kind of love - don't settle.  And I haven't.