Nina In New York: In Which I Enter A New Decade

A lighthearted look at news, events, culture and everyday life in New York.

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By Nina Pajak

So, today I turn 30.

For a very long time, all my friends were the ones turning 30 while I remained in my twenties. It was nice, really nice, while it lasted. Having a late birthday is a gift I did not value until sometime around my mid-twenties, when I suddenly understood what adults had been telling me my whole childhood. For a long time, it was just frustrating. I was the last to hit all the age-related milestones: Bat Mitzvah, driver's license, whatever happens when you're 18, drinking legally. I was always striving to be and act older than I was. But now I see that a far larger portion of my life will be spent happily younger than all my rapidly aging friends. It's fun to be obnoxious sometimes.

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Of course, time marches on for all of us, and I always do catch up. Now that I am embarking on a new decade, and one that seems rather more significant than the previous, I feel the need to do another round of resolutions. Long-term, decade-type resolutions.

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In no particular order, I vow to:

• Become a homeowner.
• Become a landowner.
• Become the type of person who doesn't let produce liquify in its bags in the fridge without ever being touched.
• Rescue another dog.
• Learn to properly train dogs.
• Have at least two children (more on this later).
• Manage to care for and clothe and feed said children without accidentally ruining their lives in any way, subtle or overt.
• Liberate our wedding gifts from my mother's basement.
• Live in a home with its own washer/dryer.
• Finally lose that ten pounds I've been chasing since 25.
• Visit India.
• Develop a taste for Scotch.
• Complete a home improvement project.
• Accumulate an impressive collection of seasonal decorating paraphernalia and flatware.
• Grow a plant.
• Maintain and strengthen my sense of superiority over "kids today."
• Learn to love yoga and/or running.
• Develop a "signature dish."

I'll check in with you all at 40. Let's not hurry.