Talk Thirty To Me

Why turning 30 is going to be awesome.

October: Pumpkin spice, Halloween, big knit jumpers, blowing the dust off the slow cooker and drinking far too much wine. But also, for me it means Birthday and this time I’m leaving my 20s behind and entering my next decade. When I was 13, I was obsessed with the film “13 going on 30” I think I watched it well over twenty times relating to the main character Jenna and her mantra, ‘I want to be thirty, flirty and thriving’. Well fast forward and I find myself aged 29, staring 30 in the eyes and up until now – I have been having a bit of a hard time dealing with this realisation that I’ve completed 1/3 of my life already and I am now (gulp) a fully-fledged adult. Thank you, Reddit forums, at 3am while I was busy waging wars on myself and my ageing process you soothed me.

However, upon reflection – something we’ve all had time to do during the pandemic, I’ve come to realise that saying “Hello, my name is Chelsea and I’m 30 Years old” isn’t as scary as first thought and here is why.

1) To say I have currently lived for 30 years and am completely proud and overjoyed with myself and what I have accomplished already in that time is an understatement. So naturally, awaiting what the next ten years hold is all far too exciting. I made it through all of mistakes, heartbreaks, cross words and fallouts whilst trying to find myself and fit into my peers – the latter something I know I’ll never have to do again, now I just want to be me, unapologetically. I have a lot to look forward to with careers, relationships, marriage and buying our first property, being taken that little more seriously because I am a woman of my 30s, rather than just a ‘twenty something’.

 

2) I walk to the beat of my own drum. I am an individual and now, I’m owning that shit. I love what I love and I know what I don’t. I’m a daughter, friend, colleague, cat mum and doting fiancé. I am a writer, a hypnotherapist, a hoop dancer, a goal achiever, a wino, a cook and a dreamer. I know my likes and dislikes and I’m ok with it. No, I don’t want to go camping, no, I don’t want to have children, no, I don’t want to attend that party, no I don’t like driving. Yes, I am going to drink that bottle of wine, yes, I am going to wear the dress, yes, I am going to wear that lurid green eyeshadow and rock it, - I’m 30 and I don’t need to explain myself.

 

3) I have always had this art; it is the Scorpio in me, but I have completely utterly honed in on my bullshit detector. I know when people are lying to me, being off with me, and are avoiding me. I no longer care or pander to it, you do you. I see through more than I make out and know exactly what people are doing and why. And you have got to start letting that shit go. Its not worth it in the long run, even if you thought it was important to you. Throw out your bad memories and your baggage, you will feel infinitely lighter.

 

4) I know my body. No more allergy surprises here, sun flower oil and gluten may always be the enemy. I have a mild back problem which comes and goes. I know the hours of sleep I need to function like a human being. I know I should start a skincare routine (I will… on my birthday I swear), moisturising isn’t a choice anymore and yes, I need to start wearing sun screen. Although, I don’t always need to cover up my greys, I don’t always have to wear makeup. I’ve seen ‘au naturel’ and embraced it, and I don’t always have to shave (sorry fiancé, its sasquatch season). Don’t go looking for things you know will upset you and your mind set - I’ve seen the world and I know which parts of it I am allergic to.

 

5) You lean to appreciate the small things in life. New pyjamas, a decent coffee brand, a guttural belly laugh a cuddle, old photo albums, your favourite movie and a night on the couch. You now reach for middle-to-top shelf wines rather than being a bottom dweller and spend frivolously on avocados and delicatessen cheeses. Reading a book in a hot bubble bath with a cold class of freixenet is much much better than finding a loud rowdy pub and shivering your tits off for a taxi at 1am. The small things in life are contentment at its finest, how times and people change.

 

So now I’m looking forward to the next chapter (In more ways than one – new job blog coming up). Tucked up in bed watching Sex and the City by 10pm – yes I am going to start watching it, series one starts with them being 30 so why not, lets get some inspiration and familiarity.

Don’t let go of your authentic self in the hustle and bustle of life – hold on to it with both hands.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are”- Carl Jung.

I still have stars in my eyes and wanderlust in my heart, there’s new mountains to climb, experiences to live and places to explore. Come at me 30 I’m ready.