Happy Birthday to me…yay!! LOL 30 has without a doubt been the happiest of my life! I have let go of many things that have held me down in the past, and I learned how to be comfortable and happy in the skin I am in. I read an article yesterday about all the things you hate in you thirties. This list was included but not limited to: low rise jeans…check…binge drinking…check and a few more, but for those of you who may be scared of turning the ‘dirty thirty’ I am here to tell you, it is going to be OK! It may be even better than you could have imagined. So here are 5 reasons I am ecstatic about being in my thirties!
I have become a healthier human: Yes! My job may depend on it, but the days of hitting the bars five times a week, late night eating and cooking from a box are long gone. I have learned that I have one body, and although I do indulge in a great meal and plenty of wine, I have learned that nothing can replace whole foods, and everything else is acceptable in moderation. I love the way I feel and I do not miss the drive through one bit! With that said, and I will say it many times over…Eat the pizza! Eat the Burger! Eat the cake! Just not every day..you only get one life and one body. So treat it well. Go to Yoga or on a hike. Find a passion and stick to it.
I now can say NO…loud and clear: Yes…Yes and YES! If you don’t already know this about me…I am wholeheartedly a yes person. In the past year I made a vow to myself that if I do not want to do something, or it will not make my husband or my life better in any way…it is OK to say no. Sometimes I have to push myself, because anyone who knows me knows I am an early to bed girl and I do not want to leave the house after 6PM, but I am 30, not 60, and I need to do a better job of leaning into social obligations, but with so many nights spent away from each other and in hotel rooms lately, saying no is completely acceptable. So NO…I do not want to go to the club at midnight, but thanks for asking!
I feel sexiest all covered up: When I was in college, I would run to Wet Seal on a Friday night to get a shirt for the upcoming weekend, and by shirt I mean a small piece of fabric that barely covered by belly button and other lady parts. These days, I love wearing a silky button down and black pants with a sky high pair of heels. I feel two parts confident and equally sexy. There is definitely an appeal to being covered up. I am glad I had my time at Towson dancing on bar tops and dressing questionably but it was the early 200o’s and butt crack jeans were all the rage!
I Adore Wine…drinking it and learning about it: Now I am not Olivia Pope, but a solid red wine is not lost on me. Cory and I have belonged to wine clubs, adore wine bars, own a wine fridge, and don’t even get me started if you serve him a charcuterie platter without meat….it really isn’t pretty! Did I mention we are in our thirties? I only think about that weekend in my early twenties where I thought I was so cool for sipping white Zinfandel over ice…UGH!
Say ‘Bye Bye’ to Insecurities: Well this is true…for the most part. I think at thirty you have the mindset of “This is me..take it or leave it”. We all have our moments where we feel a little insecure, or a little jealous, but my moments are now few and far between. I know I have much to be thankful for, but if we all strip our lives down to bare bones, don’t we all have much to be thankful for? Insecurities are a natural part of being human, and I can definitely say that I may not be perfect, but I am doing the best I can, and you can either stand by my side…or not.
Quality Over Quantity: This thought is especially associated with friends. My friendships are one of the largest parts of my life. When I took the plunge to follow a man across the country four years ago, I took a leap of faith. Surprisingly, my friendships that I have made since elementary school through Towson have remained in tact….stronger even because our time together is limited. The beautiful friends I made in Oregon, Miami, and now through my modeling career I could never live without. In Florida I have a couple of wonderful women in my life and a couple of good guy friends, and that is all I really need because they fill my heart with joy. I am also fortunate enough to have a husband who is my rock and a real partner in everything we do. So I also have to thank him for allowing me to follow my dreams and being what I call ‘Independently Codependent’!
