This is 40

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Lost in the stress and excitement of finishing our new home is the fact that I had a monumental birthday this week. Monumental.

Friends and family have been waiting for the melt down, the freak out to occur over this number 40. And with good reason -  I've never been super excited to see my birthday roll around, and I had a bit of a quarter life crisis at 30.

Life at 30 and life at 40 are night and day for me. I accomplished a lot in my 20s - traveled the world, earned my doctorate, ran 9 marathons, lived overseas. But when I turned 30 I was ready for the next phase of my life, one that would be shared with a man I loved and would include a family of my own. I'm a worrier, and at 30 I worried and worried. Worried that my Prince would never come. Worried about where my career would lead me, worried about where I would live (I had lived in three different cities in three years), worried I would miss the chance to have children of my own. At 30 there was so much uncertainty in my life, so many directions and turns yet to unfold and it was not a comfortable place for me.

At 40 I have the world on a string. I have my Prince, two lovely and healthy children, my career is rewarding and challenging, and we are two weeks from moving into our dream family home. Ten years ago, none of these aspects of my life were visible - my reality has exceeded my hopes and dreams.

This is 40. It feels amazing.

And that is all I have to say about that silly little number.

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