Today, I turn 30. As singer Josh Groban turned 30 he commented, “My 20s have been filled with a lot of trial-by-fire moments and uncertainty, but I’m going to enjoy my 30s the way I should’ve enjoyed my 20s.” It’s a “milestone that most women (and some men) seem to approach with great trepidation, sadness and fear,” and yet, I am not one of them. I see this as a chance to slow down and reflect on what made my 20s great:
- Graduating from college and getting a Masters degree;
- Getting married;
- Having children (my wife was a part of that goal);
- Learning more about myself in a professional sense (my likes, dislikes, behavior, personality and how I interact with others); and
- Moving across the country and back again;
- Etc.
Today, I seek to celebrate what makes me the unique person I am as I begin to explore goals I have for myself in my 30s.
Turning 30 feels no different than the last day of my 20s, but it sure does feel different from the last day of my teens. A lot has happened since then, incrementally. But I feel much more whole, happy and alive than I ever did in my teens. Life doesn’t have to be about the party, the next bar to stop in at, making appearances, wash, rinse, repeat. Right now, it is about deep and meaningful relationships with those I care about, the work I do and living experiences and not watching someone live theirs on a reality show on television.
To those in their 20s or even 30s finding this article, quoting another article on turning 30 from Perusals & Peregrinations, “[G]o out there, live it, be in the moment, stop thinking/pushing for the future.” Life is for the living. Carpe diem.
I will not look at my 30s as though the best time of my life is already behind me, but rather at what lies ahead around the next corner. Life is an adventure or better yet, “Life’s a garden. Dig it” quoting the movie character, Joe Dirt.
So what will my 30s be like? Even better than my 20s.
Are you in your 30s? 20s? What makes this decade of your life better than your last? Leave a comment below. I’d like to hear about it.
