I’m fast approaching my 35th birthday (yikes!), and it has got me thinking about this decade and how wonderful I have found it to be. I think for a lot of people turning 30 can be hard, because it can feel OLD and it is sort of weird to leave your 20’s (and maybe even your youth behind?) Ha!) I’ve found my 30’s to be THE BEST though, personally, and would love to share exactly why this time has been awesome for me. Here goes!

1) My 30’s for me has brought me a better sense of self love and acceptance. Weirdly enough, I’m not at my thinnest, and I won’t ever see that magical college weight again, but I’m okay with that. I’ve given birth and raised two babies, and with that I’ve seen how much my body can do. I work out harder than I ever did in my 20’s, and eat better, too. I’ve found that taking care of myself has given me a better acceptance of myself. I love being able to complete a long run, or kick my own butt in a bootcamp style class. I have the power to reach my own fitness goals and to follow through on my plans for health and wellness, and that is really empowering to me.

2) I don’t really care about what other people think, outside of my own family. As long as I’m not hurting anyone, I don’t really care about what people think. If I want to wear red lipstick at 8am to the playground, or tattoo myself all over, or do anything that expresses my true self, I do it! I’ve found that as long as I am happy about what I’m wearing/doing/watching/reading/etc, then it really doesn’t matter what other people think. I think worrying about others’ opinions is something that I used to care WAY to much about in my teens and 20’s, and this is no longer true. I’m happier and better from a mental standpoint for not caring. I know what I like and I’m unapologetic about showing it.

3) I’m happier than I ever have been, and content, too. This is partly because my kids are at a great age now, where they are still small, yet able to do a lot of things for themselves (no more diapers, yay!) I love where we are living and have a great group of tried and true friends. I’ve been married long enough to know that a bad day does not make a bad life (and to not nag at throw pillows that aren’t perfectly straight on the couch…oops!) I guess I have found that I am content to be WHERE I am, and with WHO I am, and I don’t find myself wanting more, you know? I just plain LIKE my life at this point, and can think of nothing I really need, and that was missing in my younger years for sure. 

4) My marriage is better than ever. I’ve written before about being married and what I’ve learned that has made life better. We’ve been together long enough that I can tell what he needs a lot of the time without him having to say anything, and he can do the same (er, mostly;) In our earlier days we would fight more over stupid things, or I would get aggravated when he couldn’t miraculously read my mind. I think we have both mellowed out in our 30’s, and learned how to be a couple, AND to be individual people as well. I’m also happier in my own skin, which gives me the confidence to be a better wife.

5) I know what I like, and I won’t apologize for it. I’ve found that I am the way I am, and I don’t care what other people think about that. I’m a “home person’, happy to be in my sweats in the couch on a Friday night. I love reading over anything else, and find no shame in reading a ton of YA and romance novels. I like fake diamond rings and watching QVC. I like wearing flower crowns to school drop offs, harem pants to the grocery store, and love shopping almost exclusively at Target. I also don’t like to judge how other people live their lives, either. I used to judge people a lot in my teens and 20’s, and thought life was very black and white. Now I know there is often a backstory that we don’t know, and judging folks without this knowledge is ridiculous. Also, the days of wanting to be part of the popular crowd, or liking things purely because other people do is (mostly) behind me, and I’m happier for it. Life is too short to be embarrassed about the things you like, and I think that this decade has brought a better awareness of this fact for me.

Tell me, what do you love most about the age you are RIGHT NOW?

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