Reflections
I'm not really sure how I feel about turning thirty. On the one hand, it's just another birthday. On the other, it's a change in the first digit and a zero, which has rather left me taking stock of where I've been and where I might be going.

In the last decade, and in no particular order, I have:

Met a girl, got engaged and then married in 40 degree heat (in the UK!)
Visited Thailand, New England, California, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and a whole host of places in Europe
Graduated from university, passed two postgraduate diplomas and qualified in my chosen profession
Delivered my son
Grown a beard (and shaved it off again)
Made a whole host of new friends, and lost touch with some old ones
Run a half marathon
Moved house a few times, before eventually getting on the property ladder
Let my faith drift, only to find it again
Managed to finish the decade about two pounds lighter than when I started it - having had to shift about 3 stone to get to this point
Had a blog post published in a real book (thanks Mike)
Started playing competitive eleven a-side football
Got to know some of the homeless guys in Nottingham
Started a pension
Acquired a cat - my first pet
Through marriage I've been really fortunate to get more grandparents, and a sibling, as part of a brilliant extended family
Narrowly failed to win an episode of 15 to 1
Cooked one meal a month for 40 people for a period of 2 years
Owned a season ticket at Newcastle United
Been elected to represent over 20,000 students

So, all told it's been a pretty eventful ten years.

The funny thing when looking back is just thinking back to what I was like when I was twenty - all the cocksuredness which comes with being a student, the youthful exuberance and fact that the world is at your feet.

Now, I'm older, a bit wiser, but equally with more ties. However, I wouldn't swap any of those ties - I've loved the last decade, I've loved the fact that I'm married to my best friend, and we have an amazing son.

For all the highs and lows that we've gone through, I'm looking forward to the fact that whatever is going to come our way in the next decade we'll go forward together.
- posted by Paul @ 9:14 pm