Thirty.

Today is the last day of my twenties. It has been quite the decade. There has been a lot of both good and bad, because let’s face it, this is life. You cannot have one without the other. In the last ten years I have experienced a lot and honestly my life right now looks incredibly different than what I had expected or planned. I assumed I would be married with a kid or two in tow living in some cute little house with at least two dogs. I currently am single, live in a studio apartment, and travel too much for work to have a dog. However, I would not change my current situation for what I used to want or expected to have at this point. If I had gotten what I wanted when I wanted it then I would not be who I am now. I would not have learned how strong and resilient I am. I would not have had the adventures I have taken. I would have no idea how deep my independence radiates. I would have a completely different life, one that I thought I wanted, but was actually not intended for me. Thank God. The 22 year old girl who had her life planned had no idea of what she was truly capable. Do I still want to be married with kids and a house filled with dogs? Yes. But I want it at the right time, with the right person and not just because society tells me it’s time and my biological clock is ticking.

I think about what I have experienced over the last ten years and how I have picked up and moved when I wanted and how much those moves refined and shaped me. I would not trade those times for anything. They were hard as hell, but I needed them. Those experiences brought beautiful souls into my life and allowed my heart to grow deeper and bigger than I knew it could. I have cried, grieved, fought anxiety and depression, lost a sense of myself, been angry, been short tempered, felt utter despair, and have lost hope in moments over this decade. I have also laughed, felt immense joy, fallen in love, expanded friendships, stood in awe, been so thankful I was moved to tears, stood beside my best girls as they got married, held the precious babies of some of those same besties, been rendered speechless by beauty, chosen bravery, and have found a truer sense of self. I have made mistakes, but I have also chosen the right path. Essentially, in this last decade I have truly lived, and that is something of which to be proud.

Twenties, you were a wild ride. Excruitiating and exhilarating. Thirties, I hope you bring even more adventure and a bit more kindness with you.

Cheers to a new chapter