The big three-oh and associated ramblings

THE PRE-30 FEELS

The lead up to the big “three oh” is possibly one of the periods of your life most filled with preconceptions and societal pressures (a close second, I assume, to the arrival of your first child – one of those moments in your journey where the peanut gallery decides you desperately need everyone else’s personal opinion on how you should feel). For some reason, we seem to have attached more significance to this birthday than most others, so the last six to twelve months have involved a lot of reflection and anticipation as 29 year old me prepared for D-day.

While one part of me wanted to be all “I don’t subscribe to societal norms” so I’m treating this like nothing big is happening, the other part of me very much got caught up in the hype and now, after the fact, I can safely say it’s been the most significant of my birthdays so far. But not for the reasons I expected, which were quite fearful, resistant to “adulting” and concerned about where I “should” be (i.e. babies, mortgages and the like). I somehow managed to stop myself going too far down that path, and instead found its significance in how wonderful it is to have reached this age with so many experiences, relationships and memories under my belt. A quote I always love to remind myself of is:

Never regret getting older for it is a privilege denied to many.

Like always, it was a quote that guided me through and reminded me to appreciate my three decades rather than lament them. So I came into the experience with a pretty positive mindset and was lucky enough to share all those feelings with the lovely Tabitha and Anis from The After30 Podcast. So lovely to have a record of how I felt to compare with how I feel now!

Click on the imagery below to have a listen!

THE IMMEDIATE POST 30 FEELS

The actual 30th was beyond my wildest dreams, made SO much more joyous by a series of surprises that still blow my mind! Surprising me is no mean feat, and I still have no idea how everyone kept them from me – I’ve never been surprised before, making the last week or so ALL the more special. From a surprise beach getaway with Nic to an incredible surprise party organised by the amazing Ang with all my nearest and dearest there followed up by another surprise escape this time to the NSW wilderness to a tiny cabin with my lovely friend Sal aka The Fit Foodie…. how could one person be so lucky! I sat myself down the first day of my 30s to verbal diarrhoea my way through a list of questions you so generously submitted via Instagram and answered them completely spontaneously in a bonus birthday episode of the podcast. In between all the rambling, I hope there was something vaguely useful for you!

Have a listen at the link to the right!