The big 3-0

Tomorrow, I'll be embarking on a new decade.

Interestingly enough, I will essentially miss my birthday this year because I’ll be in the air for all but 4 or 5 hours of it.  I’ve never missed my birthday before…it’s an interesting thing to think about.

But whether or not I am on land for my birthday, I’m entering a new decade this week.  I’m moving from my late 20s into my early 30s. I can no longer check the 20-29 (or 25-29) box.

And this got me thinking.

A whole heck of a lot happens in that box that 20-29 box, doesn’t it?

When I was 20, I was in the middle of my college experience in Michigan, finally figuring out what I wanted to do for a major and a career, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn’t teach middle school.  (I see what you did there, Lord.  Good one.) That year, I travelled to 8 countries and explored new corners of the world that I hadn’t thought to fall in love with before. Life was an adventure and it was slowly starting to unfold on the horizon.

At 21, I was starting my senior year of college. I moved into a house on campus with 6 friends, had incredible community, and never wanted the season I was in to end. It was the perfect end to a wonderful season of learning and growth.

The day after I turned 22, I graduated from college.  That year was spent relocating to another part of the country, loving almost every moment of it, and yet being a bit heartbroken that I didn’t have a clear indication of when I would leave the US or where I would eventually wind up.  I knew what I wanted, but it just wasn’t meant to be in that season. I was also dating someone that I was sure that I would marry, but kept being pulled toward places that didn’t line up with his plans.  (Sometimes I think back on the relational aspects of being 22 and wonder if I should have done things differently. It doesn’t take long for me to be very thankful that everything went just the way it did…)

At 23, I took two back-to-back long-term subs jobs, learned that I can handle classes of 35 gangly 7^th graders, and ended up feeling so much more comfortable in my little class of 19 fifth graders. I discovered my distain for the way 10 year olds fawn over Justin Beiber and had to tell a student not to use the Force to complete his math homework. 23 was a good year.

At 24, I was finally making a home for myself in a town that I love.  I had friends, fellowship, a ministry that I loved, and finally felt content and comfortable. There were moments where it was abundantly clear that I didn’t belong in my surroundings, that I didn’t quite fit, but they weren’t the norm and I was thankful to be where I was. At 24, I started thinking that I might never live outside the US again, and I was okay with that.

At 25, I moved to China. That choice that I made at 25 changed the trajectory of my life…no doubt about it. I started off on a new adventure, telling friends that I would be there for 2 to 20 years, but hoping it would only be 2.  I learned how to speak 星巴克的中文(Starbucks Chinese), gained a roommate (who quickly became my best friend) who was the complete opposite of me in so many ways, and learned about a corner of the world that I had never dared to explore. 25 was a really good year.

At 26, I left the elementary classroom and moved into middle school with a class that I adored.  Something that I swore I would never do suddenly became my world, and I loved every minute of it. 26 was also a very difficult year, with a major school move, conflict around what seemed like every corner, and a growing distain for the g-word (grace), the m-word (mercy), and the f-word (flexible).  Don’t worry, I’m okay with all three of those words now…most of the time.

At 27, I committed to staying in my China home for two more years, sure that these would be my last there. I started thinking about what I wanted to do next, where I wanted to go…who I wanted to be. And yet, somewhere during that year, I discovered that I really was made for this life in Chengdu.

At 28, I started to think about my career and my future, wondering if it was time to take a big leap into yet another adventure. I wasn’t bored with teaching (something that I’m pretty sure is impossible to be), but I was getting comfortable, and when Bekah Teusink feels comfortable it’s time to shake things up a bit...

At 29, I became a principal, signed another two-year contract, and finally started referring to China as home without thoughts of anywhere else holding that title any time soon.  At 29 I discovered what stress was, starting having occasional heart palpitations/waves of anxiety, and learned how important rest is. At 29, I discovered that I am not invincible and, in the words of Aunt Bea, that I’m “no spring chicken anymore.”

And now, 30 is here. A new decade. A new reality. A new world of possibilities.

Here’s to a great year!