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There is so much hype about turning 30. Its a pretty big birthday. You are no longer in your twenties, but you aren't quite in your thirties; you're just thirty. Apparently, when you are 30, you should magically have all your shit together, be secure in your career of choice, have a significant other with a prospect of either marriage or children, have already or be in the process of buying a house/condo, and be on the road to the height of the American Dream.
Because I am not happy in my job, have no significant other or even a prospect of a significant other which means there is no marriage or children on my horizon, and I don't even have my own apartment at this point (but I do own those tubs outright). I'm about as far from the American Dream as you can get.
But here's what I do have. I have a fabulous family who, when I was in Costa Rica getting robbed, help keep me sane and alive and able to continue my trip to end it with good memories rather than the memory of being stranded in a surfers paradise with no money, no credit cards, no books, no journal, and unable to pay back a complete stranger who gave me $20 to last me a week.
I have great and amazing friends. Some whom I've known for over a decade; most of whom I've known for less than 3 years. People who have turned out to be the strong influences I needed to get me over the end of the crap that happens in your twenties when you are still figuring it all out, taking huge leaps of faith and crashing and burning because it wasn't the right ledge to leap off, who will pick you up off the floor and keep reminding you not only that you are, but WHY you are still "enough."
I also, now, have knowledge and faith in myself. I have the right reasons to say no, the strength to stick up for myself, and the ability to just let people walk out of my life if that's what they choose to do. It no longer crushes me to accept that people will think what they want about me: if they don't like me.... eff 'um. And when those that have walked out walk back in expecting me to be the same naive girl who will let them walk all over me once more just to make them feel better about themselves.. well, all I can say is "you had your chance and you blew it."
My favorite part about turning 30 was the women who upon finding out would say "welcome to the club. It only gets better," and listening to the people who had a hard time turning 30 say things like "it all goes downhill from here" and thinking to myself... "not for me!"
It was also fun to (after a crazy weekend of celebrating the last hours of my twenties) to wake up Monday morning and say "I did that crap when I was in my twenties!"
So, Here's to 30. Bring it!
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Happy [Belated] Birthday!
ReplyDeleteA while ago I was thinking on birthdays and that there’s a plus side to them. It’s not in the way that turning 21 was and going to your bar of choice rather it’s along the lines that you’ve never been better at what you do. You’re smarter, you think faster, you can make connections you were incapable of even a year or two ago. There’s love and compassion that you couldn’t ever get near when you were younger. And on top of that you’re kinder and nicer (and apparently not better with grammar J ) than you used to be because you’ve been there enough times an know how hard it can be sometimes to just get through a day.
Over time you lose a lot of the defensiveness carried in younger years and you’re more willing to accept your flaws. Not only is this a relief…it’s a burden lifted. When these changes, life skills so to speak, are put together and you look over your personal and professional life you’re more confident. That’s another burden lifted.
It’s not exciting like staying up late is when you’re eight years old. Nor is it like the first time you hit a job that you really fit into. It’s better because you understand it more and put it to good use.
At least it can be.