Chapter 30

I know how to have a good time.  If you don't believe me, just look at how I spent my 30th birthday: partying at the DMV and visiting the dentist.  I've been back in the United States for about two months now, and the planets seem to have aligned to press a cosmic reset switch on my life as I crossed the threshold of my third decade on Earth.  I frankly have no idea how I would be dealing with all of this without my friends and family to support me, which I think is a reminder of how important it is for us to work to stay connected with each other even across great distances and lifestyle changes.  I was able to visit with plenty of folks, and despite not seeing some of them for years I picked up conversations with them as if I'd left only a few hours before.

Now I am staying with a close relative in my home state (which I left 20 years ago) while I try and sort through things.  I'm on the lookout for job opportunities and am giving myself courses to regain some of the knowledge that I've forgotten since college.  I have high and low points, but in the end I remain confident that not only will I will find a good job, but also find my happy niche in the world, wherever that may be.