Sixteen days.

It’s something I’ve dreaded, looked forward to, dreaded again and have finally embraced, kind of — turning 30.

Yes, I admitted it.

One of my most favorite songs as a child was “Strawberry Wine.”

There’s a line that says, “I still remember when thirty was old.”

Then, my mom was 30. I thought she was ancient. It’s funny how perspectives change.

I’ve heard people call their twenties their messy twenties.

A lot of transitions — from college to having my daughter to building a career and everything in between.

I think your twenties are growing years. You figure out who you are, make a lot of mistakes, make a lot of good decisions. It’s really like a roller coaster ride.

There’s truth in what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

My 20s showed me what I was made of — through the bad times and the good times.

I have no regrets.

I’ve made mistakes. I’ve learned from them. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason.

I believe that people come into your life and leave your life for a reason as well.

It’s all about growth and learning to be the best, strongest you.

The biggest things I’ve learned in my 20s are:

• Love myself. I’m not talking about in a selfish, put yourself ahead of everyone else all the time kind of love. But to truly love yourself.

• Be more positive. That’s a hard one for me. I tend to be negative, but I’m working on it.

• You can only control yourself and you’re only responsible for your own actions. You can’t force anyone to change. And sometimes you just have to realize that’s OK.

• Be kind to others. You never know what someone is going through. A hateful email first thing in the morning can set the tone for that person’s whole day. A person is a little snappy at the grocery store. Kill them with kindness. You may be the only person who has been nice to them all day.

• Don’t judge others. It’s not our place. We all sin. We all fall short of God’s glory.

• Most of all love others. Love with all you have.

C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

So, as I embrace 30, I look forward to setting new goals and making them, and continuing with the current goals already in place.