Half-Birthday Time (or Only 6 Months Left In My 30s)

I’ve been celebrating my half-birthday for as long as I can remember. And I really doubt I will ever age out of celebrating it. I know it can seem like a childish thing to recognize, but I like having a bit of a checkpoint for myself. I do this with annual goals, but this also sets a separate checkpoint for myself when I’m halfway through an age. I don’t necessarily set goals for what I want to accomplish by each age, but it still gives me a chance to check in with myself and see how things have been going for me.

When I was younger, I definitely had ideas of where I wanted to be by certain ages. I had a bit of a tough time letting that idea go, but I think as I was getting closer to turning 30, I realized that those hopes I had for what would happen in my life just weren’t realistic for what was going on in my life. I remember being in high school and thinking I’d be married by 28 at the oldest. I’m glad I didn’t stick with that too much because the guys I dated in my 20s would not have made good husbands.

I think because so many of the ideas I had for my life were things that I expected to happen in my 20s, I really struggled with the idea of turning 30 for a while. It got easier as I got closer to that birthday, but I remember struggling with turning 28 and 29 as well because 30 was looming ahead and I was nowhere I expected to be in my life. It’s tough when you have all these ideas and expectations and none of them are happening by the random deadlines you set in your mind. It almost feels like you missed out on life or will never accomplish those ideas. And yes, some of the things that I thought I would do in my 20s are now things that I don’t necessarily want for my life, but I also have relaxed a lot more with the idea of things needing to happen by a certain age.

And I think because I have relaxed with those ideas, I’m not scared to turn 40 in 6 months. I’m actually excited about that birthday. It is a milestone birthday and I have no idea what exactly my life will be like in 6 months, but it’s still something big that I will celebrate even if it’s just on my own. I also think that aging doesn’t scare me as much as it used to. I have a lot of friends who are older than me, and I can get an idea of what my future holds. Turning 40 now is very different from turning 40 in past generations. And even though there is still a stigma with aging, I think that most people accept that 40 isn’t old anymore and that you can still have a lot of life to live after 40.

I’m going to enjoy the last 6 months of my 30s. Honestly, my 30s have been so much better than my 20s. It hasn’t all been easy, but I have been able to enjoy my life so much more in my 30s. I haven’t cared as much about what others think, so that allows me to live more freely. I have gained confidence that I never imagined I could have when I was younger. I don’t want to say I’m totally confident in my body and how I look, but I feel more in control of my appearance and I appreciate things in my body that I didn’t before such as my strength. I might do some things to feel younger like dye my hair, but that doesn’t mean I’m not proud of who I’ve become in my 30s.

If the last 6 months of my 30s are anything like the last 9 1/2 years, I’m sure they will be filled with a lot of awesome things. I know that there may be some heartache and pain, but I expect to finish out my 30s even more excited to turn 40 and see what my 40s will bring!

You Might Also Like

It’s My Birthday! (or Starting Off My Last Year In My 30s) Half Birthday (or Reflecting On The Past 6 Months) A Milestone Birthday (or I Have A Feeling 35 Will Be Awesome) 6 Months In (or I Want To Hope We Aren’t Doing This For 6 More Months) It’s My Birthday! (or This Is 36) Goodbye 31 (or Hello 32!)