I reached a milestone in life, or at least that is what people say. I turned 30 over Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans. By my side I had some of my closest friends, one of my cousins and my husband. I’m lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. Here are few fun photos of the Mardi Gras scene. What I like about this crazy holiday is the way it brings people together- people from all walks of life.

The 20s were a great decade for me. I learned a lot, saw a lot, experienced a lot and loved a lot. I went to two colleges, obtained degrees in journalism- news editorial, a minor in philosophy and a BSN in nursing. I lived in Boulder in an apartment with roommates for the first time and moved to a new city for the first time when I came down to New Orleans and made it my new home. I worked as a photojournalist, a waitress (which taught me some life lessons), a freelance photographer, a nurse in a busy Emergency Room and a wedding photographer. I launched my first website and subsequent websites and began blogging. I studied abroad in Prague and Rome, traveled around Italy, China, Japan, France and the Dominican Republic. I have volunteered as a nurse in Ecuador. I held onto friends who were closest to my heart and met new friends, many of whom have become an integral part of my chosen family. I’ve lost some friends through distance, naturally growing apart or just realizing they are not the positive people I want to surround myself with. I dated my husband through my 20s and married him- the love of my life. It was a wonderful, meaningful decade that taught me a lot about myself and others and as I stand at the brink of a new decade, I am excited to see what my 30s have in store for me. So far I am all about taking risks, being honest with not only others, as I have always strived to be, but with myself about what I want and who I want to be. I am also determined to focus more energy on seriously pursuing my photography. So far I have submitted myself to two photo contest/galleries, committed to going to Nicaragua to volunteer in May, and quit my job at the hospital to accompany my husband to London for three months. I am keeping a open mind as to where life will take me next– whether it is to a new area of nursing, to more photography or to some opportunity waiting abroad. It is freeing to go with the flow for a while and see where life takes us.

These are a few moments from my birthday weekend.

Apparently I have run out of space on my blog, so this is all I can post until I decide what kind of upgrade to use. Why must everything cost money? Cheers to 30!