Reflections at 30

Yesterday I turned 30. Despite it feeling like any other birthday, the milestone has caused me to reflect a bit on the past decade of my life, and, I must say, I’ve been pretty lucky. In the past ten years, I’ve lived in two countries and six cities—Evanston (Illinois), Seville (Spain), Madrid (Spain), College Station (Texas), Madison (Wisconsin), and Plymouth (Minnesota). I met Agustín when I was 20, we married when I was 24, and had our first child when I was 28. Amidst all that, we learned each other’s languages and came to appreciate one another’s culture. I earned a Bachelors, two Masters degrees, am two years closer to a PhD, and supported Agustín through an MBA (which he earned less than four years after moving to the U.S. and starting to learn English!). All in all, I think it was a pretty great decade. Sure, there are plenty more things I would have liked to have done—traveled more, lived in another country, etc.—but you can’t do everything. So I have no regrets. And I am extremely excited about my 30s—motherhood, enjoying the friends and family I have come to appreciate so much, hopefully becoming Dr. Harvey (don’t worry—I won’t make anyone call me that), and who knows what else.

Here are a few photos of Emilia in the month that her mom turned 30. It has occurred to me that she will likely never remember me in my 20s, but many of her memories will surely be of our times together while I’m in my 30s. So here’s to another amazing decade!

Marveling at a spinning top I brought home from my last trip.

Anything—like these pants—can be turned into a “hatty.”

Playing in her swimming pool in the backyard with friends Madeline and Anabel.

Emilia modeling her “lellow hamas” (yellow pajamas), which Uncle Jordan bought her in Thailand before we even knew if she had a “man handle” or not (Jordan’s words; ironically, it looks from this picture that Emilia might think she has a "man handle").

I’m leaving town later this week and will be away at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication for two and a half weeks. Stay tuned for a newsy update when I return.