Well, the past couple of weeks have certainly been fun! I turned 30 last week, and my family made sure I got to mark the occasion in a special way.

See, if you’re familiar with the movie 13 Going on 30, there’s a dress the main character, played by Jennifer Garner, wears to a party that’s a little bit iconic for women around my age. Now, I love this movie, so when I was 15 or 16, while shopping for a special event, I happened across a dress that, while not exactly the same, was similar enough that I had to wear it. I kept it through high school & college to rewear for other events that might come up, but even after graduating I couldn’t bring myself to let it go because I hoped, that maybe, just maybe, it might still fit decently enough a few years down the road and be my real 13 Going on 30 dress.

Over the past year, I was skeptical that would work out, knowing how my other clothes have changed in fit, and I told myself I’d just try the dress one last time on my birthday, but only try it on, unless the Crossfit sessions sprinkled throughout the last couple months actually had enough of an effect. Well, knowing my goal, my family made reservations at our favorite sushi restaurant for a special birthday dinner the Saturday beforehand, so I had my motivation to try the dress one more time. It definitely doesn’t hang the same as it did in college, but I could still sit comfortably in it, so with a little shapewear and accessorizing I knew I could get one last wear in.

So, I got to have my 13 Going on 30 moment after all, blow out a flaming sushi roll (way better than candles), and enjoy the most decadent cheesecake I’ve ever tasted (after I got home and put on stretchy pants, of course). And then on my actual birthday, I got to spend the whole day playing with my niece, who just had her first birthday, so it was a big weekend for us both. I couldn’t have asked for a happier birthday, and now to paraphrase what is still an excellent movie, I would officially describe myself as “thirty, [wordy], and thriving!”