Viva my weekend.
I’m taking it easy for these last days of being 29-years-old.
One year ago, Mark and I were living in Kansas. I was working on the 10:00 News and he was telecommuting to Berkeley.
And next week, we return to Sin City to celebrate my 30th Birthday. Rock on! My dad’s already planning a tasty menu of yummy Filipino food for our first night in town. I might as well stop eating on Sunday so that I have plenty of room in my tummy.
Like many young punks growing up, I didn’t think I’d make it to my 30th birthday. I was too wild for my own good. Besides, being an adult was so ordinary! I couldn’t imagine myself being married nor could I see myself working and paying bills.
When I was younger, 30 seemed like the end of the world. It was the end of the countdown to settling down. I figured if I made it to 30, I would be knocked up or have already given birth to a mini-Kristina or two. I imagined I would have settled for a white-collar drone job that simply paid the bills. I pictured myself with a dumpy body. Between taking care of kids and working full-time, I imagined wouldn’t have any time to take care of myself.
Now I know I’m coming to terms with being an adult. It feels like my life is far from ordinary and I am grateful for the amazing adventures I’ve had around the country and the world.
I’ve had one foot in Rome and the other in Vatican City.
I straddled the Prime Meridian.
I also towered over the International Boundary at Niagara Falls.
On the road, Mark and I drove to Chicago, New York and back to California. And then onwards to my first news job in Kansas.
In the Sunflower State, I watched tornadoes twist on our skycams. I also watched homes, farms and towns washed away by the floods.
In London, I rubbed shoulders with Jude Law and Sienna Miller. I also interviewed Pierce Brosnan at a movie premiere at Leicester Square.
In Washington D.C., I covered the President’s Inaugural Ball and I interviewed Senator Obama on his first day in Congress.
So far, I’m having fun as an adult - with my marriage and career. Mark believes in me. That gives me the courage to face the challenges in television news. My family loves me. That gives me the strength to endure the roller coaster nature of the media industry. My friends get me. That helps me balance working hard and playing harder.
Standing at the edge of 30, I can imagine a future with kids. I can see little Marks and Kristinas running around, getting in trouble and being amazing. We’ll take them to Disney World (so that other people won’t think I’m a monster for dissing on Mickey Mouse). I’ll drive them to baseball practice and dance rehearsals. Mark will help them with math and science homework. We’ll introduce them to Europe and the Philippines. We’ll show them it’s OK to be different. When I’m ready to be a mom, I will do everything in my power to help our kids make their dreams come true.
If anything, turning 30 is like the start of another adventure. So, rock on!
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