Yes, I am thirty years old today! Born at 7:02am (California time), it seems fitting that I am forever a morning person. Even now, “sleeping in” is barely 8am…

Y’all know that my tendency to reflect is near and dear to my heart; it allows me to think both fondly and critically of the past while keeping hold of the present and looking toward the future. To that end, here are 30 entirely random reflections I’m pondering as I turn 30.

  1. I’m surrounded (near and far) by the very best people. Family, friends, colleagues, former students, professors, mentors, and the list goes on.
  2. Something undefinable about a fresh haircut makes me feel like I can take on *anything*.
  3. Learning is loving to be curious. What a joy to thrive in a sphere with learning at its center!
  4. I certainly need Violet more than she needs me, and she loves me more than I deserve.
  5. Someday I *must* return to Italy to eat all the Gluten Free pastries again (yes, even croissants!).
  6. Setting impossibly big goals motivates me. Past-Maggie even 5 or 10 years ago wouldn’t believe all I’ve done.
  7. 1000% love being tall. Thanks Mom & Dad for the good genes.
  8. Reading is entirely necessary to a full & purposeful life. Where else can we escape and venture to imagine better worlds?
  9. Social media is entirely what you make it- I have met (virtually, in real life, & both!) people from all over without whom I wouldn’t be the same person I am today.
  10. Distance is hard… but distance will not break us.
  11. How are gas stovetops *that* much hotter than electric and glass top?? I might never get used to this.
  12. The words we share with others are our legacy. I strive to be remembered as vibrant, thoughtful, and uplifting.
  13. Somehow binge watching a season’s worth of episodes is less of a mental commitment than watching a 2.5 hour movie. I can’t explain it, but it’s true.
  14. A McDonald’s Coke will almost always fix a tummy ache.
  15. I want to travel to all 7 continents. Yes, that says continents! I have no fear about exploring our world. If only my adventurous soul was matched by a bottomless pocketbook.
  16. It pains me that I can never un-learn that some people call dogs’ paw pads ‘TOE BEANS’. This phrasing is a travesty, pure and simple.
  17. Having invisible chronic illnesses never gets easier. The toll it takes is rarely seen, but remember to never assume you know anything about someone’s health.
  18. Crossing things off a To Do List is a Top 5 human feeling, period.
  19. How different it must be to live a life not dictated by the academic year… I don’t think I would trade it, but sometimes I wonder how life feels different to those unattached to an academic life structure.
  20. Fresh, clean scents are vastly superior to floral scents.
  21. How is it possible to have so much room in my heart for all my former students? Every day of every school year, we share precious moments and build imperfectly perfect relationships. Without fail, seeing your names warms my heart, no matter how much time has passed.
  22. Money can’t buy happiness, but money can certainly buy the absence of worry in many cases.
  23. I think I’m turning into a real adult because I’ve been researching what new vacuum I want to buy.
  24. Daydreaming about living abroad occupies my mind consistently… I wonder if that might be in the cards for me eventually.
  25. Crafts stress me out. Being bad at crafting is something I came to terms with years ago, but it still annoys me that I couldn’t force myself to be good at it.
  26. Whenever I get nervous about something, I remind myself that if I can successfully and happily work with 150+ teenagers every day, I can do *anything*.
  27. The crisp and brisk air of a true fall day is weather perfection. I appreciate Mother Nature a little extra on these days.
  28. Buying your own groceries is far less fun that it was riding around in the cart as a kid. Now, I’m loathe to even enter a grocery store (curbside pickup is a pandemic blessing I didn’t know I needed).
  29. Election Day is on Tuesday November 8th, 2022. That is precisely 20 days from when I am writing this post. I implore you to vote, in all elections, but especially in these.
  30. Thank you reader, for loving me in any way that you do. One beauty of a birthday is the outpouring of love from your people. I’m endlessly thankful for your love 💜