Tomorrow I turn 29 and I can hardly believe I’m on my way out of my 20’s. To be perfectly honest, I’m not afraid or dreading it, either. I feel like my twenties were a huge growing experience for me. I learned so much about myself, about other people in my life, how to read people better, and how to deal with difficult situations (better). Each year, as I get older, I feel a bit more confident and comfortable in my own skin. I am able to say what I actually feel / believe and not feel bad about it.
My twenties were a time for me to “figure things out” without feeling like a complete failure, which is something I understand and appreciate now. There were definitely times when I felt I should have my shit way more together, should have more money in my savings, needed to have a successful career. All those things are important, but like everything in life, I feel there is a time and place for it. For me, those things weren’t exactly a priority in my early to mid twenties–I was more focused on having fun, mingling, making new friends, and ruling out things I didn’t want in life. While going out and getting drunk on a Tuesday probably wasn’t very productive, every night out / party / event / etc. was a learning experience.
Today, in the final stretch of my twenties, I’m a bit more calm. I place my career as a high priority now that I know what “it” is. Prior to blogging I bounced around in hopes to find my “dream job,” the job I would be proud of and loved deep down. Nothing felt quite as right to me as blogging does. Once this became apparent to me, it was easy to become consumed by my job, as that’s how much I love it. I don’t wake up in the morning dreading my day (maybe just the traffic I have to deal with along the way). I also place a high priority on spending time with only the people I love and that enrich my life. Not to sound self-serving, but there is no room in my life for toxic people. I appreciate where I’m at in life–my marriage, my home, my dogs, my family, my friends, my career, my experiences–that is what matters most to me.
Entering my last year in my twenties, I plan to continue living this way. Having fun, learning more, trying new things, growing my business, and maybe one day starting a family. No promises, as 29 is still technically in my twenties, and as I stated above, it’s for figuring things out and having fun. 30 will have a whole new set of objectives.
