Coleo's Year of 30: Age is just a number

That's what they say, right? Well, this year I turned 30 and age felt like a heck of a lot more than a number. It felt huge. And scary. And just plain awful. My brain started heading to a dark place. I started thinking about how I didn't have a husband yet. Or a baby. And how there were all these things in my life that I'd wanted to do for so long and hadn't. I started to get sad and a little depressed. So finally, FINALLY, I decided to start living. And I mean really living. Not just pretending. And here's the crazy thing...it worked! I might not have a husband. Or a baby. But I can honestly tell you that I am happier now than I have been in years.

So what did I do? Well, it all started in the most unexpected place. Charleston, SC. After coming here on vacation with my mom 3 years ago, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt that Charleston was my soul's desire. The only problem was that I worked for the best company in the world with a job that I loved and it seemed like every time they had an opening in the Charleston location it was the worst possible timing. So I waited. And waited. I got to know some of the people there and finally, in December my opportunity came. I interviewed and got hired for an amazing promotion. With a start date of January 15, I was beyond ecstatic. I was over the moon. I have always wanted to live at the beach and now here was my chance. It felt like the best Christmas ever. Little did I know...
Moving to Charleston was something that I'd wanted to do for a while. But there is something that anyone who knows me can tell you: I love Paris. I don't know where my obsession came from, but I know it started early. I took French as a freshman in high school and I think I was probably obsessed before then. For more than half my life I have been dreaming about going to Paris. I decorated my house with French artwork, I watched French movies, I have probably 20 or more different Eiffel Towers in my house, my favorite being a removable sticker that's about 3 feet tall and is currently on my sliding glass door from my friend, Giesla. Going to Paris has been a nearly life-long dream. But anyone who knows me also knows that I am always broke (shoes speak to me. it's an illness) and therefore have never gone. Well this year for Christmas, we were at my parents house, opening presents on Christmas eve. Looking back I should have known something was up. Mom was all antsy, and making everyone take pictures, everything that I got was Paris themed (although that's really nothing new) and everyone just seemed on edge. We got all done opening presents and I was thrilled with what I got. Then mom pulled a giant box out from behind the tree. *whew, I'm getting weepy just thinking about this*. Inside was a piece of pink paper. Mom read from this paper about how a parent's mission is to make their children's dream come true. Everything inside me stilled and I could hardly breathe. In French, mom asked me to go to Paris with her. I cried. Hard. Don't believe me? Here's the proof: Going to Paris. I'm telling you, I'm tearing up right now. I was so overcome with emotion. 3 months of planning ensued. It wasn't easy. How do you know what you want to do in this mythical city that you've only dreamed about if you've never been there? Where to stay, what to do, what food to eat, mom and I were so excited. Finally, the day arrived. The second the plane hit the ground I burst into tears. It wouldn't be the last time. We checked in and walked straight to the Eiffel Tower. Words can't even describe. I stood on the sidewalk with tears in my eyes and smiled so big for pictures that my face looked it was going to split. It didn't even look real. It was beautiful. More than I ever in my wildest dreams could have imagined. It was a gorgeous sunny day and mom and I laid in the lawn. While she napped, I just stared at it. Swoon. The next night we went back again. From a plaza across the river, I took a million pictures. I put the camera down just as the tower lit up. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Mom sat and put her arm around me while I cried again. And just when you think it can't get any better...it sparkles. The flashing lights come on for 10 minutes every hour and it looks like the tower is covered in glitter. Sigh.... The rest of the trip was amazing. Mom was the best travel buddy. We spent a day and a half in London with my friend Chris and mom was thrilled. It was her birthday while we were there and I sang her happy birthday at top volume atop the Arc de Triomphe. My only complaint about the trip was that I needed more time!! It was truly the very best experience of my life. I could not be more grateful to my parents and everyone else involved for making that trip happen.
So that my friends, is how I kicked off my year of 30. I decided on January 1 that I was going to live this year to the fullest I possibly could. Charleston, Paris, the tattoo I've always wanted, running a 10K and finally going surfing! These are the highlights so far...but there's so much more. Stay tuned!

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