I'm Turning 30

Because despite what the amazingly put-together photo collage I created might suggest, I want y'all to take this seriously. If you know me, you know I've been bugging you to come visit Alaska ever since you said the words, "You're from Alaska? Wow, I've always wanted to go there!" Well, there are no more excuses! Treat this like a wedding if you must – we travel all over the world to celebrate the love and union of our friends and family. We budget for it, we buy special outfits and plane tickets and gifts. And what is a milestone birthday if not a kind of wedding to oneself? A celebration of getting through the last decade? Of commiting to one's own personal growth, dedication to taking care and standing by oneself through thick and thin, 'til death do us part? And what is a wedding if not also a promise from friends and family to support the people being celebrated? To contribute to the maintenance and growth of their love? What is a birthday if not the same thing? Loved ones gathering to celebrate love, friendship, commitment, and care. I love love. I love weddings. And, we live in times where we need every excuse to celebrate, take a vacation, prioritize the joy and caretaking of friendship as much as we do of romantic partners. It's all family, after all. This is a celebration for you, too. For all of us, supporting and uplifting each other. You are here because you have been an important person in my life. Someone who has encouraged me, challenged me, loved me, and inspired me. Let me thank you by showing you around my home, by showing you a part of myself you may not have met yet. And of course, I'll never pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention ;)