beginning of the end.

I turned 26 this month. TWENTY SIX. Anyone over 30 is rolling their eyes at me already, I can feel it. Those of you who aren't though - TWENTY FREAKING SIX. That's cloesr to 30 than 20 (hence my super fancy creative blog title - clever, right?). Those of you who know me know that my previous blog is chalk full of rebellious posts spoken like a true adolescent (in her early 20s). I insisted upon never growing up, living hard for as long as you can and never settling down. Well, you can guess what happened next.

I settled down, damnit.

Last year, I met a super fantastic guy (don't tell him I told you), realized that night after night of margaritas and tequila shots couldn't hide behind a plastic credit card forever, and that empty calories really throw you for a loop when you try to squeeze a pair of jeans on after frolicking all summer in a sundress. Since then, I've been mentally blogging about all the changes I've gone through at my own will - giving up the bar nights, keeping up with the soccer moms in my rec center weights class and trying zumba for the very first time. I realized I love all things cooking (and eating), that yard work isn't so bad, and that mundane evenings are something I actually crave now. My friends are getting married. Hell, half of them already are married. (I'm not at the "friends with kids" stage yet - Lord help us all). Everything I thought I could avoid forever and thought I didn't want now not only sits pleasantly at my front doorstep - I open the damn door and welcome it all in with a Martha Stewart smile.

I catch myself in mid-conversation talking about my dogs (I have two) and the newest low-carb recipe I tried. I think to myself constantly, am I boring now? Who am I? I pray to God I'm not boring - despite the fact that I'm talking about things now that the me from three years ago would have punched me in the face if she heard me talking about.

So, long story short - this blog is a fresh start. It's what happens to you when you're "closer to 30" - when you find yourself growing up when you didn't think it would ever happen. When you realize you have an entire "wedding board" on Pinterest and that (fingers crossed) hopefully will come true one day. When you try to get healthy, try to be fit, try to eat right. When you try new recipes, laugh at life's trials and tribulations of living with your boyfriend and two dogs, and try to get past living paycheck to paycheck.

So, if you're new: Welcome! If you're old: Sorry I'm not still drunk. Hopefully I'm not boring.