I CANNOT believe I will be turning 30 on Monday! Where has the time gone?! These last 10 years have been a blur and so much has happened! It’s interesting to me when you are approaching these mile stones in life you reflect in detail on where you are in this moment. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others personally and professionally, whether that is in a positive or negative light, it’s human nature.
When I turned 21 I remember looking into the distant future at 30 and thinking what do I want to accomplish, firstly I wanted to be married (to the right person certainly not the person I was dating at the time!!), I wanted to have a baby and I wanted to be in a senior role within my career…. Since 21 I have completely changed my entire career, starting from the bottom again and building my way up plus moving to a different country, I’m certainly not where I would like to be but I’m getting there, and proud of my accomplishments in such a short time. I found my man and this year had my beautiful baby girl! So it’s not looking that bad.. I’m still aiming for that Chanel Bag though!
What I do know is you have one shot on this earth, so make it count. By 30, you should have …
- One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come (or just a great husband who is the best of the best no comparison needed!)
- A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family – so honestly my house pieces are certainly not the standard I would be fully happy with at the moment, however I have a book shelf that’s been with me for nearly 8 years! Bought from good old Ikea and I decorated it and use it to display my shoes! This is my favorite item.
- Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour – us girls always have our go to outfits, and I’m ready whenever James Harden calls me for a date!
- A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying – 100% I’m not ashamed by most of my wardrobe that sometimes makes my husband cringe!
- A youth you’re content to move beyond.
- A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age – I was never that crazy girl at school or college who got wasted and has hilarious stories, however I love to hear other peoples! My stories are from travelling to different countries and working with different nationalities and the characters I’ve worked with.
- The realization that you are actually going to have an old age — and some money set aside to help fund it – gosh my husband is BIG ON THIS! This year I’ve added more to my 401k than ever before, and especially now after having our baby cub we are very much setting aside a financial path for our retirement (gosh that sounds old!)
- An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account — all of which nobody has access to but you – YES, part from my bank account. joys of marriage! 😉
- A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded – isn’t this the best, once you get to a certain age it’s more taking out all the crap you used to buffer it early on!
- One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry – moving to the states was difficult, I missed my girlfriends and having the comfort of our friend groups back home, however it was also a good lesson for who my true friends were, who has made the effort after nearly 5 years! The same when I had my baby this year, it’s the friends who step up and are actually there for you. We have always been social butterflies but I feel blessed with my friends around me both back home and here.
- A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra – black lace bra yes! The others… this is what my husband is for no?!
- Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it – gosh my shoe collection! Thank you Jimmy Choos
- The belief that you deserve it – my husband will roll his eyes at this line but I say this all the time and I truly do believe it’s true
- A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30 – anyone who reads my blog will know YES YES YES!
- A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better – hell stinking yes!
By 30, you should know …
- How to fall in love without losing yourself.
- How you feel about having kids – too late now we have one!
- How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship – these damn tough life challenges!
- When to try harder and when to walk away.
- How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
- The names of a great alteration place, your great grandmothers name and best place for Pho!
- How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
- Where to go — be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat — when your soul needs soothing.
- That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.
- That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
- What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
- That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.
- Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
- Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
- Why they say life begins at 30
