Hello 30, I'm Mike.

...or Michael, I haven't decided yet. In fact there's a lot I'm still not a 100% on, even when entering into this third decade of life. Spicy food is a good example. There are times when I love me some spicy salsa, but I'm not going to go out and eat a jalapeno for a snack. At 30, I also don't feel I can say I'm a democrat, or a republican, although I know where I stand on certain key issues. I can't tell you with absolute certainty that we'll never own a cat, or that I won't go golfing. It would also be wrong to promise that I'm not going to the ice capades sometime in the next ten years.

However, 30, I will promise you with absolute certainty that I am ready for this decade. I am ready to try, ready to fail, ready to succeed. I'm ready to define, redefine, refine, renue and at times reject and be rejected. I'm ready to hold steady and at a moment's notice jump off course, do a u-turn and go another way. I'm ready to spend, and ready to save. I'm excited to plan for the unknown and walk unknowingly into certainty.

30, a while back 25 came along and messed me up. It told me I hadn't accomplished anything, it lied to me about its expectations and it left me thinking I had failed to live.

You are just the beginning of a decade of new. You are the newly paved road, the hallway of unopened doors and the mysterious woods at the end of the property line that undoubtedly hold both danger and fun, but invite all to sure adventure and will make for great stories to share and relive sometime while sitting out next to the fire when I'm old...like 75.

30, you will be conquered.