Jurassic Park Personified

When I made this decision to go back to school, one thing I kept saying to myself and to others was "I am getting older" and though you try to fool yourself into thinking you're that hot spring chicken you were when you did your spin as an undergrad, you soon realise that you're a damn dinosaur. (a hot dinosaur, excuse you)

I have been following the social networking chatter from the 2010/2011 intake at my school and I felt like Ty - Tyrannosauraus Rex. I mean, wow...was I this young and foolish once? What's worse, one chick who would probably share a couple classes with me asked my age and I told her, and you would swear I had some infectious cyber disease after that. It was somewhat alarming but more hilarious than anything else. Am I going to be the old fart in the classroom with all these silly twenty-somethings? God help me. Are there going to be more Edward Cullen and Justin Bieber aficionados than people who could tell you about Boyz II Men and Russell Crowe? Will I be that woman I used to frown on at age 19 - the old lady on the block? Yeah. Mature students look different, act differently and even dress differently and as I was going through my own back to school wardrobe, I knew I was going to not be as disheveled as some of the people you see on campus. Well, not all the time anyway. And you would think I was like in my 50s or something. I am still years away from ticking the 35-40 box on application forms, so damn...when did I become a relic?

But note friends, I did not say I felt like a Brontosauraus, all slow and wombly and chewing on grass like a wuss. Nope. I am fierce, I am the H.B.I.C in the park, and will bite your head off if you're annoying. Gives a whole new meaning to the saying "I may be old, but not cold".
I think I am better prepared now for this than I was at 22. I think the life experiences I have had since then have given me enough perspective to appreciate where I am now, and how I managed to get here. The one great thing about where I have been is that I have been able to keep my brain from turning to mush and it's probably sharper and more receptive to knowledge now than it was then. I think I can embrace this new challenge with the force of the fabulous and super woman that I am and love it and succeed at it. I probably have more to show for myself than some of these young'uns and more to show them as well. And show them that 30 definitely is not ancient. I used to think so too when I was their age, but it's a pretty good place to be actually. They may be surprised that I can actually relate to them, and think this old battleaxe is quite a trip! Cause I am. I  am pretty damn awesome!