I had mixed emotions about becoming thirty years old! On one hand I thought I would mature a little (who was I kidding?) but the other part of me was filled with dread.
On my 29th birthday during my Harry Potter themed party (shut up, it was very awesome lol) I cried and nearly had a breakdown. Aged 16-19 I thought that by the time I was 30, I would be leading up to partner in a law firm, saving the world one case at a time in London with a flashy car, cool house that I had mortgaged…blah blah blah.
Life took me in a different direction. It took me down mental health and its despair, its nightmare, its heartbreak.
Jade reminded me by saying, and I quote, “five years ago you didn’t think you’d make it this far. You may not have the career you wanted, but you are alive” and that really got me thinking. I’m alive. I’m well. I’m grateful.
So rather than do a TV series Friends-style 30th birthday with tears and cries of “why God why” (thanks Joey!), I decided to create my own Project 30. This consists of experiences and things I want to do in my thirties, having lost my 20’s to ill health. I will have a new list in my forties haha!
This list is in no particular order! Visit Ireland, hold a spider, go to a live concert, go to Sea Life Centre, Cadbury World, learn to drive, visit Cornwall, go strawberry picking, West Midlands Safari Park and visit York’s Harry Potter street, the Shambles. Go ice skating, go to the Sheffield’s Butterfly House, go quad biking again, lose 3 stone stone (10% of 30 is 3) and go on a car date/picnic. Go leaf kicking, get a tattoo, raise money for charity, publish a poem, win something and see a a comedy act. Learn something new, make a friend, walk barefoot in the rain and join a gym. Lastly, get married, go abroad, clear my debts, make a difference and stay happy.
Easy right??? So far I’ve ticked off; Cadbury World, Sea Life Centre, go to a live concert (Pink), West Midlands Safari Park, been to Cornwall and joined a gym.
My best advice if you’re going nuts over a new age? Go with the flow. It really is just a number. Make it fun, make it memorable like me 🙂
The Warrior Within 