Forty and the Firsts!

Ever have the feeling you are in strange movie? In a time warp? Maybe, in a hot tub time machine? Haven’t seen the movie, but I am having that feeling this week. Not going BACK in time but forward. I am usually always the girl looking forward, in a sense that I leave the past in the past, but not looking too far into the future to worry about things out of my control. But this week, I feel like I have been transported. Here’s the thing that I thiiink may be the main culprit of this feeling; I AM TURNING 40 THIS WEEK! Now, to me, just the mere utterance of that makes me feel like I just moved forward in time, oh…about 10-15 years. Seriously! My parents were 40. My in-laws 40. My brother and sister-in-law 40. Greg is 40….but me??? Not that I have any hang ups about it. BBBAAHHAHAH! In all seriousness, I don’t have hang ups about it. I mean, I don’t feel 40. Don’t always act 40. I have heard rumors that the fourth decade of my life will be one of the best ever.
We had a little get together for Greg’s B-day, which happened to be last week, and we had a discussion about the 20’s, 30’s and now 40’s. I know, I would never want to go back to my 20’s. That decade was a huge struggle for me. School, marriage, young parents, no money, barely any jobs, moving from California, where I grew up my whole life to Idaho, built a home, and really searched for who I was, and who I wanted to be. In my 30’s things mellowed a bit. But that is the decade we agreed was the “character building” decade. We had established careers, kids were older, we moved to Minnesota, I quit work, bought yet another home, moved again (back to Idaho) bought another home, Greg changed his career focus, started working from home, got a kid graduated, and another this year, we started traveling more, and I decided it was Ironman time! I guess that in itself is something to look forward to in my 40’s. First Ironman at 40! Wow! Many of my friends have looked at 40 as a big bummer. The old, over the hill. That’s hard for me to do. I am the happiest I have been, ever. My kids are amazing, I am married to my best friend, I am back living in a place I feel is paradise, and I am in probably the best shape of my life. I am happy, healthy and blessed. So far, I am thinking I agree with those who have come before me, this fourth decade may just be “Alright!”
I will be celebrating my big 4-0, camping in Montana. Winter camping. Hmmm, now this is the part of the story that I start to cry. Kidding. My Grizzlyman Adventure Race is coming up in a couple of weeks, and we are going over to do some training. We don’t actually know the course, per say, and won’t until the night before the race, but we are going off of last years area for kayaking, trekking, mountain biking, trail running, and orienteering. This race has also snuck up on me. I mean, I have been training, but here we are…almost race day. Another 1st! Adventure Racing! I will be huddled up in a mummy bag, with some good friends in the Montana forest, eating a Mountain House Blueberry Cheesecake MRE for my birthday. Really this is so apropos for me. It’s funny, and will make a great story, and that’s how my life rolls, usually.
I am excited about Grizzlyman, even if I feel like it too came at me quickly. This training will be a great indication of how the race will go for us. I am most concerned about the white water kayaking…yet another 1st!
Maybe 40 will just continue to be a year of 1st’s for me. I guess if I look at it that way, the sky is the limit, and possibilities are endless. When I look forward, I can look at it with great expectations, excitement, enthusiasm, looking forward to the next great adventure. Isn’t that the way life should be lived anyway???
Here’s to 40 and the 1st!!