Let the Thirties Begin

I've turned thirty. Anyone up with pop culture knows that 40 is the new 20, so thirty must the new "somewhere-between-fifteen-and-twenty".  However, that "youthy" bit does not mean, go wild, party, craziness etc etc etc.

Instead it is the serious phase of my youth.  I'm sobering up and looking at the world with eyes of someone who now has a full three decades under her belt.

In a nut shell things I've learned a few things.  Below is a list, off the top of my head (note: there should be many, many more things not listed here.... hopefully) of what I've learned:  

Decade One: 0-10

a twin is cool and makes me cool

a big family rocks

not all step parents are evil - some are the squishy teddy bear type that love you like crazy

imagination is key - don't leave home without it

food is a beautiful thing

turkeys are awful pets if you are shorter than them

swimming and riding a bike are necessary adventures for all humans under 10

math is over rated

siblings can be mean

other people can be mean

learn from older siblings 

Decade Two: 11-20

Jr. high is a period of life which resembles hell

being tall at twelve is only advantageous if you play basketball - unless you suck at basketball

stick with the flute -- do not play sports if you are not a natural athlete 

pierced ears-- a right of passage

high school teachers can be scary

high school teachers can be motivational

if you have the opportunity to hang out with the opposite sex in high school -- do it

it is necessary to make friends with people outside ones family

friends in high school are fantastic, will most likely be acquaintences later in life

dating can teach one a lot about themselves

dating can be painful

Decade Three: 21-30

university is equally about book learning as it is learning about ones self

don't get involved in your boyfriends family "politics"

deal with skeletons from childhood early

anxiety disorders can be managed

willingness to take a big leap can mean a big reward at the end

living overseas is an adventure

one may not marry the person they expected

marry the nice nerdy guy

there is no pain like that of losing a parent

being stylish is a good thing

having a savings account is necessary

it is not easy to mold the life dreamed of but it is worth the struggle all the same.

Mt Ruapehu - keep the adventures coming!

the trinket no bag owner should be without

Are you a woman? do you own a handbag?  if so, then you need this...

Enter Lula to "Cafe de happiness"

Bag on shoulder, strutting in, ready to devour some cake, ready to gleefully sip a glorious coffee..... ready for the time of her life!

 

You are curious because this gal has glam! "Why is Lula so confident? Why does she think that this is the best day ever?" you ask.  

It is because Lula is on her way to cafe happiness. Her bag is not going to be tossed on the floor with all the crumbs, and dirt.  No, her handbag is going to hang, suspended from all of the grim in bag heaven.  It will swing, happily waiting while Lu dines via the beloved "handbag hanger"; a gift from Mr Lesaro on anniversary number 4.

Bag saved!

What a perfect gift from Mr Lesaro...well done.   The end.

Moral of the story: Get your Mr to buy you a handbag hanger or buy one for yourself -- they are the perfect accessory to all cafe dining.

The two cafes pictured here happen to be fantastic NZ spots I love:

Caffiend in Petone, on Jackson Street, Lower Hutt, NZ - the citrus cake (pictured above) melt in your mouth!- the atmosphere, bustling, urban, and funky

Floriditas in Wellington City, Cuba Street  - I suggest a long black (pictured above) filled roll and grilled holoumi - the atmosphere -a.m. casual and fresh, evening- comfortable and aesthetic

Check 'em out!

Survival is necessary, but it is not always sweet.

How is it that I've been able to live without Twin?   Seeing her for the first time since Christmas 2008 brings a certain upheaval for the life I've crafted in her absence.  I suddenly realize how empty the months have been without her compared to what the next two weeks will be with her.

This thing about living long distance is such a strange phenomenon.  Yes we've talked on the phone, kept up via the web... but seriously, how have I lived without the sparkle of her smile in my life?  Laughter is so much more in the physical, when we can experience nuance and jest in the tangible. Conversation is three dimensional with expression, and meaning has context that does not exist in 2 dimensions via phone or page.

My realization from this; it is that a fine line sits between the enjoyment of life and the survival of life.  We live in different countries.  We survive without each other.  But, we enjoy life so much more when the steps are walked together. Relationships are those crusty, wholesome things that make each of us who we are.  They are fabric.  My twin is part of my fabric.  I prefer it when she is nearby, but I survive when she isn't.  Yet when she is, it is such a beautiful, harmonious thing.

Survival is necessary, but it is not always sweet.

If you are reading this today and just simply surviving, I know what that's like.  I have experienced survival many times while living away from my culture, best friends and family.

I hope right now you can think of some people, family or friends whom you know life is sweeter with.  Cling to their memories.  Don't stop growing in their absence, but keep that little memory of their company near by.