Thoughts on turning 30

This is also about making your own happiness.

I have always liked having a birthday in January.  New Years happens with its reflection on the previous year and the feeling of getting a fresh start.  And then I turn a year older on January 16^th and get the same opportunity to look back and also look forward.

I don’t know about you, but I used to think 30 was old. Oh, how I was wrong.  30 is not old, and age really does not matter much.  We shouldn’t be “putting things off” until we’re older.  Waiting to do what we want until it’s a more opportune time.  Waiting until retirement to really live life.  No.  Any one of us could die tomorrow, completely regardless of our age.  What matters, rather than age, is how we feel, how happy we are, how well we live our lives each and every day, and how we love.

I have been reflecting on the big, list-able things I’ve done in my twenties, focusing on the good.

I graduated from nursing school.  I have given care to the most amazing patients and met the greatest coworkers.  I moved out of Ohio, something I always swore I would do.  I lived in 6 states.  I volunteered in Uganda for a month and Nicaragua for a week.  I traveled to over 10 countries, and I just got to renew my passport.  I spent countless hours laughing with friends.   I learned how to backpack and I now love and hate it.  I went skydiving and volcano boarding.  I ran 3 marathons and 10 half marathons.  I became an aunt.  I visited a bunch of National Parks.  I have kept the best dog alive for over 6 years.  I started going to church and finally feel like I know Jesus.  I have loved and I love, and I have been loved and am loved.

The reason I list these things is part my own way to record what I did in my twenties but mainly to share that the good things in my life have not just happened.  Yes, I believe in God and believe that He has a plan for me.  But I also believe in our ability to help make our lives what we want them to be.

To quote my motivational speaker boyfriend, “nothing happens unless something moves.”

Amazing things happened to me because I strive to be happy and live how I want to live.  I didn’t just find myself in beautiful countries on accident.  I realized that I have a passion for travel and adventure, so I made these a part of my life.  It hasn’t always been easy.  But I saved money, planned trips, and went.  Sometimes alone if it meant going where I wanted to go.  And sometimes just on small adventures down the road, especially if I was low on money.  And always, always with a kind heart and the desire to connect with others.

Happiness doesn’t just happen.  It is more intentional than that.

I learned and am still learning what brings me joy.  Sometimes we need to self-reflect and really think about what makes us happy.  When you know what brings you joy, work towards feeling it as often as possible.  Be intentional about it.  Work hard for it.  Happiness snowballs.  When you feel it, you want to feel it more often, and it spreads into your whole life.  It’s also contagious.  The people around you will see it and hopefully want to feel it too.

So plan that trip.  Go on that hike.  Confess your love to someone.  Be present.  Watch sunrises.  Find a new hobby.  Run that race.  Adopt that dog.

Do the things that make you happy.

As for me, I made a list of some of the best hikes in the world and want to see how many I can do in my thirties.