30 thoughts/things/moments from my first 30 years.
1. I was born in New Orleans as the last of four girls. My parents are proud southerners and never waste an opportunity to remind us that we are not yankees.
2. When I was 18 months old, I had surgery on my heart. I have a wicked cool scar still to this day.
3. I graduated high school at 17, college at 20, and completed my masters degree at 22.
4. When I was a baby, I self soothed by picking my belly button.
5. In my life I have played or coached many sports since I was four years old. These include basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, track and field, taekwondo, and of course soccer.
6. I was apart of a taekwondo competition team for several years. When I was 14, I went to junior nationals in Atlanta and earned 2nd place by only half a point. That was one of my proudest sporting moments.
7. I first left the country when I was 16. That summer,I traveled to Sierra Leone, West Africa and two weeks later traveled to Germany.
8. My 16 year old summer travels must have sparked something in me. I love to travel and experience new cultures. I have traveled to Sierra Leone, Germany, India, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Canada, Mexico, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and a crazy 27 hour layover in Qatar.
9. During my senior year of high school, we had senior night for soccer and choir on the same night. I definitely wore my soccer uniform under my robe for choir.
10. There is 17 acres behind my parents home. Every so often the river would flood and we would canoe around our backyard. It was weird but so much fun.
11. I was the sports and aquatics director at a small YMCA for four years out of college. Recently, I went back to the YMCA world as a sports director. It is a fun life.
12. I never thought I would be married. Ever. But, Ryan came in and swept me off my feet and he is my favorite person and I love being married to him.
13. I never thought I would do foster care. While it has been the hardest thing I have ever done, It has been the best thing I have ever done as well.
14. My immediate family is very close. We moved away from New Orleans and our extended family when I was young and it was just the five of us most of the time. When we weren’t vacationing back to New Orleans, we took awesome family vacations. The ones I remember the most were Yellowstone and Washington DC.
15. I’m not really sure why, but I hate the color pink. I was somewhere around 5 years old and was given a pink Barney cake by a grandparent. I was sick and ended up throwing it up…and it was still pink. That might have contributed to my hate of anything pink.
16. My dad did his job well and raised us all as faithful and loyal fans of the New Orleans Saints. It is in our blood to cheer passionately for the Saints and I will do so until the day I die.
17. While my parents officially taught me to drive, I may or may not have had some lessons from my sister in the local community college parking lot. She was only two years older than me but it was good haha.
18. My niece and nephew and foster kids that are old enough all call me koko. My sister gave me that name and it stuck with her kids and now my kids.
19. I have torn both of my ACL’s in my knees and have had them surgically repaired. I have two bolts in one knee and three screws in the other. I originally had four screws, but one fell out. No, I’m not kidding.
20. I ABSOLUTELY love food.
21. I don’t wear makeup. I don’t like how it feels or looks on me. I happily go face naked. I have only ever worn makeup for my wedding and my sisters wedding as an adult and even then it was minimum.
22. I love animals. Growing up we had a dog (jade), birds (duckie, desha, snowflake), cats (too many to name), and countless guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils.
23. As kids, we were outside all the time. I loved bike riding around the neighborhood, having bonfires and campouts in our back field, star gazing, and fort building.
24. My family camped in Wyoming several times growing up with friends. I have few memories as I was young, but I still love to camp today.
25. I have two tattoos. One on my wrist and one on my foot. They are both small but very meaningful to me.
26. I have slept walk since before I can remember. My parents and sisters could tell you so many stories about the weird things I have done. I am also known for having conversations in my sleep and not remembering them the next day.
27. I love a good thunderstorm. Once in high school, while on a youth trip for church, my sister and I ran out to play in the rain when everyone else was running inside to stay dry. We must look like fun people because around 50 people joined us.
28. I love the ocean. However, I would choose mountains any day of the week.
29. My family is loud and crazy, but I am so thankful for my parents and sisters. My sisters are my very best friends that have always been my constant through really good and really bad. We are all vastly different, but it works.
30. College was both super hard for me and also really awesome. I grew up a ton in those three years but I’m thankful for the opportunities and experiences it brought me.
My first 30 years have been complex and dynamic. I have had the very best and the very worst. I have been in the valleys and the top of the mountain. I take a quick minute to reflect on my experiences and what I have learned. I am a different person than I was 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and 1 year ago. I’ve made mistakes and hurt people. I’ve been hurt. I close that book and look to the future. I’m proud of the life I have been called to live. I’m honored to live life and raise kids with my best friend and best husband a girl could have. I am truly blessed by the best family in the Campbell’s and Murphy’s. I am lucky to have a caring village around myself and my kids.
I am ready for my 30th year. The year I become a legal mom. I’m ready to start this next chapter of my life. I’m grateful for my past and excited for my future.
Cheers to 30 years 🙂
koko
