Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

Thirty, flirty, and thriving. I was fifteen when the movie 13 Going on 30 came out in 2004. (Does that make anyone else feel old?!) Basically the perfect age to completely relate to the main character and the entire premise of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a young teenage girl who isn’t loving her life as a high schooler. On her thirteenth birthday, longing to be mature and more in control of her life, she wishes she was thirty and wakes up the next day as a thirty-year-old woman. Of course, in classic romantic comedy fashion, as her dream adult life plays out, she learns that the grass may not actually be greener on the other side.

I don’t remember ever longing to be thirty per say, but I definitely had moments in my teens when I couldn’t wait to grow up and get out on my own. Fast forward to today, and I can’t believe my decade as a twenty-something is coming to a close already! Cue a little “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins…

Good, bad, or indifferent, my thirties are here! I have to admit, as my twenty-ninth year started winding down, I pretty much went through the five stages of grief. Denial sank in. Then a little anger. Some “please dear God slow down time.” And even some mild sadness and depression. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing one can really do about getting older, and thus finally came acceptance. Eventually I decided if I have to turn thirty, I’m going to CELEBRATE being thirty!

My dear friend, Jenna, and I spent quite a while putting this session together, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. It’s everything I had dreamed up and more. Deciding to embrace thirty has been the best. Age is just a number, and this really is the quite possibly the happiest I’ve ever been. A lot of learning and changing and growing happened in my twenties. And now, I feel like I’ve arrived at a really great chapter in life. Bring on the next decade! thirtieth birthday thirty