33

Wow. I am 33 years old. Well, technically not for another 12 and a half hours, but I rounded to two significant figures, thus making me 33. My lucky number is 3, and my age has two 3's in it, so in theory, this age should be twice as lucky for me. Or would it be 11 times as lucky?? Mmm, I guess we will just have to wait and see what the year has in store for me.

I remember my parents being my current age--I would have been 12. At 33, my parents had three kids, married for thirteen years, and were in the process of buying a house. I figured I would have at least some of that by now. I don't. BUT, I am hopeful that I will in the near future.

I've had a ton of opportunities and experiences in my adult life. Some worked out great for me, while others not so good. I started my adult life not having a clue what I wanted in life. All I knew is that I wanted to go to college and run track and cross-country. Alas, I stayed at Northwest College for a few years, worked on the oil rigs for awhile, and lost track of my dreams of running in college.

Not all was bad from this. I met my first love. Had my first real broken heart, so I did what any logical 21 year-old would do--I left all I had ever known in Wyoming and moved to Oregon. After a long talk with my friend Ryan and his sister Renee, I decided that moving to Oregon was best for me. Even if I failed miserably, at least I tried something new. It was the single hardest, yet the best thing I have ever accomplished. Sure, I miss my family, but I knew it was something I needed to do. I packed up my green Jeep, and left for Eugene. With each passing mile I would think to myself "it's not too late to turn around". It's about when I reached Bend, Oregon that I realized that I was past the point of no return. I was scared shitless.

Moving from super-conservative Wyoming to super-liberal Oregon was definitely culture shock for me. The change was an exciting experience for me. Everything was new. I was experiencing a sense of independence. I made some great friends, saw the ocean, and found out that I love college football!

I planned on getting my residence so I could go right back to school, but alas, I started making some pretty decent money at Monaco Coach. I worked there for around seven years (with a short period of 7 months that I tried car sales--big mistake on my part, but that's part of life). I finally found my drive to go back to school when Monaco went bankrupt. It was a shitty situation for many of us. Many are still struggling to make ends meet. Monaco always held me back. It was too convenient for me to stay. I just allowed my life to get stuck in a standstill of mediocrity. The day they told us we were getting laid-off, I went to LCC and signed up for classes. I've been at it ever since. It made me have dreams and goals of success again.

I know I've made my share of mistakes in my 33 years, and one thing I have come to realize, is that you can't hold anyone responsible for your actions but yourself. There have been times when I've tried to put the blame on others, but it's always been my own damned fault. Regardless of the mistakes I've made, I still have great friends and family who love me. Thank you all for all the times we've shared over the years--both good and bad. I look forward to sharing future experiences and relationships with you all in the my next 33 years. Love you all.