Free Falling

Though I initially would have wanted to do this before turning 30, my time and schedule wouldn't have allowed me to do so.

So, in the final weekend of the birthday month, I got on a plane to travel to Los Angeles to visit family, friends, and go skydiving.

It's one of those things that I decided I wanted to do way back in high school.  But I had never actually thought about planning to go for it until recently.

My friend, Jenny, had done it a couple of times before several years ago, and that definitely put the spark back in my mind.  But what cinched it was hearing another friend who was planning to go.  I made plans with Jenny almost immediately.

When I told my parents that I was planning to come to LA for a weekend to go skydiving, my dad sends me a text saying that I should consider taking my mom because she was interested.  At first, I didn't believe him.  My mom wasn't necessarily the adventurous type, so I would have never thought she would be interested in anything like this!  But, as rare as it was, my dad wasn't joking.

On the early morning of the 20th anniversary of the L.A. Riots, Jenny, my mom, and I went down to Lake Elsinore.  The place is called Skydive Elsinore.

Firstly, they make sure that you initial and sign this pamphlet of a waiver form.  When you sign and date the document, they make sure to video tape you reading the agreement, the date, and your name.  They really want to make sure no one sues them.  But, they've supposedly never had any problems with the beginners jumps.

As we were in the lobby, they were showing videos of other people's jumps.  With every video, I grew more and more excited.  It was almost strange how calm I felt about it all.  I mean, I was excited, but I was not very scared at all.

After a couple more videos and being weighed, we were told to go suit up. 

We were dressed in a couple of layers already, but we then put on these jumpsuits and harnesses.  We were given a brief run through of what the door of the plane would look like, and how important it was to arch.  Arch.  That was an important word we needed to remember.

ready!

My mom and I met our videographers, and soon we all met our instructors.  After one last practice with our instructors in another structure, we were told to get ready to get on the plane.

There were 5 skydivers in our little plane alongside the instructors and videographers.  There were 2 moments when I suddenly could feel anxiety.  First, when someone mentioned that we were halfway to the jumping point, and I thought, "What?? Only halfway??"  Then, when it was my turn and as my instructor and I were swinging in preparation, I was a little nervous about the coldness.  I legit thought, "Damn, it's cold!!! Can I handle the coldness??"  Hahahaha!

I honestly felt really serene

I was the last one to jump out of the plane, and it was exciting to see every one else go before me!  I know when the first person jumped, I gave a little squeal of excitement.  Then, my mom went, and I was cheering her on as she went flying into the atmosphere.

my mama!

It's really one of those things that you just can't think about.  When you're doing a tandem jump, the instructor is basically telling you what to do, and you just have to remember how to situate your body when you're free falling.  You know that he doesn't want to die either, so he'll do everything in his power to make it a successful jump.

Before I knew it, we were in the doorway of the plane, and next thing you know I'm falling towards the ground.

ready? set? GO!

free falling over Lake Elsinore

look at how excited I look!
I'm pretty sure my brain was going, "Wheeeee!"

it's an absolutely amazing feeling...

and it was so beautiful up there..

When the parachute was deployed and I was finally able to move my face, I screamed, "OHMYGOD THAT WAS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!" out into the atmosphere.  My instructor got a kick out of it.  I just couldn't help myself.  I'm sure I repeated it over and over, and just talked about how beautiful it was up there and how I understood how people get hooked on it.

When I landed, I felt like I couldn't even get up off the ground.  I just wanted to float or fly forever.  I felt giddy with excitement that we had done it!

how happy do I look??

For the rest of the day, which I ended up going to Glen Ivy Hot Springs with Jenny and her friends, I would get flashbacks to the moment we jumped out of the plane and the sensations of falling fast.  We joked about how much adrenaline we had flowing through us, and how we were then calming ourselves with massages and mud baths.

It was an amazing Sunday!  It was hard to leave Los Angeles, as it always is hard to leave.

But it was the perfect end to my 30th Birthday Month.  From hair dye, to tattoos, to skydiving.  Adventure sure doesn't have to stop just because you age.

Birthday Dinner with Love

On April 23rd, I hosted a dinner at my house with many of my friends.

I ordered a ton of Filipino food from the only Filipino restaurant in the Boston area (JnJ Turo Turo), and an ube cake from a pastry chef friend.

Chicken Adobo and Lumpiang Shanghai

Turon, Lumpian Gulay, and Pancit

Cakes by Erma
mmm...ube cake...

Also, one of my friends baked me a cake with one of the best cake toppers I've ever had on any cake of mine EVER.

So cool!

close up of the awesomeness

It was great to know that so many people wanted to join me on my actual birthday that we wouldn't have fit in any restaurant. Or we would end up tearing a place down with our laughter.

I really think that I couldn't have had a better 30th birthday dinner.  I know so many amazing people who I know care about me, and it's always nice to be reminded of how lucky I am on my birthday.

30!!! 30!!! 30!!!

Remember those quizzes in the magazines?  The ones that would be like personality tests?  They would tell you what kind of friend/lover you would be or what kind of career you would be good at.

I feel like almost every one of them asked whether you would rather have love or money.

I always always always chose love.  Love over money any day.  I chose it then, and I would still choose it now.

I realized the other day that I am certainly living that. 

In my 30 years of living on this earth, I've managed to surround myself with love.  From my unconditionally loving Yoni, to my eternally supportive friends, to my ever-growing family.  Even my acquaintances, lovers, and admirers have been a source of love and learning.  And that love stretches across the country, across continents. 

When I was in high school, I remember making a vow that I would not regret any decision I make or experiences that I have.  Regret is detrimental to growth.  Instead, I would choose to learn from my mistakes and experiences that are out of my control.  I'm constantly looking for lessons in order to make me a better, more well-rounded, more loving person.

Don't get me wrong.  I've still got a lot to work on.  There are still people I know that I would rather not deal with, who I know just make me angry or frustrated or even a little violent.  Nor have I reached the pinnacle of my career, because I am still figuring out the how's of all that.  I'm not at all saying that I've learned everything there is to learn.

But what I've always said about getting older, why I've always looked forward to turning older, is that there are more opportunities for new experiences that are open to me and I get to utilize all the lessons learned from my youth.  It's like I'm handed magical glasses that let me see things differently, because I'm older and wiser.

I am so excited for the next phase of my life.  For all the new experiences, which get to ride on the back of my first 30 years of life.  For all new new people, who I will learn new ways of looking at things. 

For all the old love that will carry me through and the new love that will encourage me forward.

I am forever blessed to be in this life.

Happy Birthday to Me.

1 Til 30 - Last Day of 29

It's the final countdown!!!

2 Til 30 - Party Rocking

Another successful 29 year old evening

4 Til 30 - Toesies of the Month - April 2012

Can I just take a step back for a second and talk about 2 things?

My 30th birthday is quickly approaching!!! The last days of my 20's are going to go by in a rushed blur, I'm sure. 

AND...it's possibly going to rain on my birthday!!!! WHY??? I hope it's not as bad as they're predicting, but I'm actually a little bummed about it.

I'm in a production of the Vagina Monologues which is premiering this weekend.  So, that has been taking the bulk of my time.  I feel like this weekend will go by in a flash, and next think you know it'll be my birthday.

I'm excited.  But for perhaps the first time, I'm also nervous.

I've already gotten to do so much in my final month of being in my 20's.  But before I go on and wax poetic, mainly because I want to reserve that for my actual birthday date, let's focus on the now, shall we?

In preparation for the Vagina Monologues, I knew I needed to get my nail did.

Luckily, I had the opportunity to go after work the night before the premiere, and I got to relax instead of feeling incredibly rushed.

This week has also been April Vacation Week for the Boston Public Schools.  The kids (mainly 2 kids in particular) have been driving me crazy.

I NEEDED SPA TIME.

Design time!

Designed at Nails 2000, Jamaica Plain, MA
Color: Sephora by OPI - 212
Occasion: Vagina Monologues
April 2012

I also ended up getting a manicure.  Having done some performances on the stage as a belly dancer, I know that I can't be on the stage without tons of makeup and my nails done.  It was only natural that I had to do this as well.

Alas, I now have to go and pack for the rest of my day.  The idea of this is exciting and worrisome.  I definitely don't want to forget anything.  But I have to pack for bootcamp, after school, and the Vagina Monologues. 

My initial thought is, "How the hell am I going to get away with this?  I've looked like a serious bag lady all week, and it's going to be worse tomorrow."

But then I sit back and realize that I've been pretty much rocking this entire week, as difficult and exhausting as it's been.  And I know I'm going to rock Friday as well, because...well...that's how I do.

7 Til 30 - Inked: and in the End...

As I had planned several years ago, I wanted to get a tattoo for my 30th birthday.

This past weekend just seemed to be the right time to do it.

So, I did it!

and in the End, the Love you Take
is Equal to the Love you Make

It's always funny how tattoo artists seem to think that all tattoos should face outward so that others could read it easily.  But it's my tattoo.  I had my reasons for doing it the way I did it, as I mentioned in one of the links above.

Holy smokes, did it hurt like crazy!!!  And it hurt where I didn't expect it to hurt!  I thought it might hurt closer to the bone, but it hurt quite a bit right in the middle of my inner wrist. I just tried to think of how awesome it would look when it was done.

I will definitely have more pictures of it when it's all fully healed.  It still feels really new to me.  Aside from the still tender skin, just knowing that I've finally reached a point when I feel like I deserve to make this statement feels amazing.

It's really been a tough Saturn's Return.  I am by no means done learning and exploring and making mistakes.  I know I still have yet to feel completely comfortable in my skin.  I still have yet to feel like I can take serious risks without fear of failing.

But I want this tattoo to be a constant reminder of constantly putting out more positive thoughts.  There's a give and a take.  And hopefully more love.

8 Til 30 - Part 2 - Karaoke

How could I not have a birthday celebration that involved karaoke?  Let's be serious.

I love that my friends also know how to celebrate birthdays, especially in outwardly silly ways.  Like with party hats.

What's a party without party hats?

There was a lot of really getting into the music...

that apparently meant getting down on one's knees.

The funniest thing is this:
As the night wore on,I managed to collect more and more accessories for my head.

First it was just party hats.

Then I got a hold of a sequined fedora...

then these ridiculous and
non-functional glasses...

and finally this horrifyingly uncomfortable 'stache.

That 'stache didn't stay on for more than a 30 seconds.  But I found it really funny looking back at the pictures the next day.

There were a lot of amazing songs sung that night.  A great variety ranging from George Michael to Rage Against the Machine.  I was bummed that not as many people could make this part of the celebration.  But the people who were there made it such a fun night filled with great songs and sing-alongs!

8 Til 30 - Part 1 - New England Aquarium

I've been wanting to go to the Aquarium for such a long time.  I just haven't had the chance to go or others have been too busy to join me.  So, I decided to make it part of my birthday month celebrations!

The day was full of activity, but it was so much fun.  All I really want for my birthday is to spend my time with all my friends, doing things I consider as really fun.  It's amazing, though, how busy everyone is.  I feel like I had to pack in a ton of activities or else no one would be able to come to anything.

But I had 3 awesome people join me at the Aquarium.  Begin the photo dump!

looking cute for a warm New England day

Harbor Seals in the ticket area

another Harbor Seal pretending to be a rock

Seal scratching his bum

how cute that the seals like playing with hoses!

Penguins being fed

penguin: "are you lookin' at me?"

sea horsies!!!

sea dragon disguised as seaweed

sea horse chillin'

sea anemones are so much easier to type than to say

tide pool

picking up starfishies

my favorite part of the aquarium is the HUGE tube in the middle

turtle! duuuude!

aquarium + awesome friends = happy place

the new shark and stingray touch tank!

they're so silky smooth and soft!

it's really cool how friendly they were

of course I had to see the jellies!

they're so creepy but so beautiful

moon jellyfishies

these were like cauliflower!

aliens!

I really have to make a point of going the aquarium more often.  There's something so soothing about being around all the ocean creatures.  Of course, being a mermaid, I needed to commune with my fellow deep sea creatures for my birthday.  I couldn't imagine not having a connection with these beings or with the ocean.