Grown Up and Still Having Fun

This is Jax slogan. The whole time I worked there starting in what, May 2001, or 2002, (who can tell by now) I hated it. I still cannot claim to like the dumb jingle but it dawned on me what the slogan may actually mean.

I am not "grown up" so to speak, but in terms of the 18 year old girl I was when first moving to the front range, I've changed quite a bit.

I'm still having fun. In fact in a lot of ways, I'm have a better time.

For instance, the volleyball teams I play on now (both of them)are better than my high school varsity team, which I LIVED for. And I only play twice a week!

I'm still very much involved in what I came to know as the love of my life, Track and Field. I've now earned the respect of my fellow teammates, a few Olympians, and my mentor more as a coach, than I did as an athlete (and I wasn't too shabby an athlete)

I learned how much I love where I live, Colorado, and all the wonderful things the nature and beauty of this state have to offer me. Skiing and backpacking have become two of my passions and I have learned to enjoy them both socially and on my own.

As I've aged (into my ripe old age of 28) I've learned to stay home, and enjoy it. I've always had a hard time with this but I find myself longing to hang out at my house, with my pets, preparing for what will be my garden, and making improvements on MY HOME. I've never felt that way before and it makes me content. I can hang out here for hours and never long to turn on the television. I truly just like being at my house, and I'm really looking forward to slowing down and enjoying it this summer.

To add to that, I'm now comfortable going somewhere/most anywhere by myself. I think a lot of things have contributed to getting me to this point, but I don't feel bad about dining by myself, or going to listen to a speaker by myself, etc etc. That took a little courage and confidence to do, I might add, but it dawned on me the more I rely on others for my good time and relaxation, the more it actually stressed me out. Of course having company or a CERTAIN company is always welcome, being solo is not always easy but somehow, I have managed to just go, and has been very liberating.

So I guess I am "Grown Up and Still Having Fun"...while I think my college years were the some of the best years of my life, I'm not so sure they were THE best years of my life. Sure, I'd go back in a heartbeat, but I'd go back with the friends I have now and the peace of mind that I could never have had as an uptight 22 year old. There has never been any doubt that I'm blessed but I'm now "old and blessed" and its a lot of fun. :)