The Summer I Turned Thirty 

For a lot of us, Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of Summer and Labor Day Weekend marks the end. With just 14 weeks between the two holidays, Summer seems to fly by in a flash. This summer will be my last Summer in my twenties. AKA, the Summer I turned thirty.

Logan, my husband, turns 30 tomorrow, on Memorial Day, and I turn thirty on September 2nd, Labor Day. It’s funny how that works out, and I’ve always loved that we start the Summer with a birthday and end the Summer with a birthday. For some reason, this Summer feels a little different. It feels important to my life story. 

I know… birthdays are just another day. But T H I R T Y. It kind of feels like a new beginning. I know I’ve technically been an “adult” for a decade now, but turning thirty feels extra adult.

I’m not scared or dreading it. I’m actually looking forward to it. People say they love their thirties. They also say love their forties..? Honestly, I think happy people probably love every decade of their life. 

My twenties have been… interesting. In some ways, they’ve been nothing like I’ve expected. And in some ways they’ve been exactly what I expected. 

A look back at my twenties

So much happens in a decade. I graduated college. I moved across the country from Missouri to North Carolina with my boyfriend. While there, I got my first job out of college. I quit that job. I started a business. Logan and I moved to Florida. We bought a townhouse. He proposed. We got our first dog together, Maui. Then, we got married and Maui was in the wedding. We had a pandemic.

I started my blog. My brother moved in with us for a bit. We got our second dog together, Moana. We moved to a new house. I tested out new career options. We had some hard times and went to therapy. I struggled with depression, so I started consistently working out. I fell back in love with my husband. Nutrition has always interested me, so I took a nutrition course. I grew my food blog and started doing it full time. I sold my car I had been driving for a decade, and we got a new Jeep Wrangler, aka my dream car. And over the last almost 10 years, I’ve traveled a lot, made a lot of really good friends, and have had way more good times than bad. 

Looking back at my twenties, I feel happy

Looking back at my twenties, I feel happy. I feel good about them, and I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. I had lots of great experiences, and learned lots of good lessons. At certain times I felt behind, but with a new decade on the horizon, I almost feel like my life is just starting. It’s strange how that happens. This past month, when I’ve really thought about what I want my thirties to look like, I’ve just had so much clarity. Something I never really felt in my twenties. It feels good, and I hope that clarity continues into this new decade. 

I’ve also noticed myself caring a lot less about what people think. I truly think that comes with age. It’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race that is social media. “Keeping up with the Jones’” is no longer reserved for your next door neighbor. You get to see everyone’s “perfect” life all the time. In my thirties, I want to slow down and focus on what’s going on inside my own walls, not the walls of others. 

The Summer I Turned Thirty 

Now… back to this Summer. I’m determined to make the last Summer in my twenties, “The Summer I Turned Thirty,” one for the books.

What did I want to do in my twenties that I haven’t done yet? And can I pack it all into the Summer? I’m sure as hell going to try.

What do I want in my thirties? What steps can I take this Summer to make those things come easier when the new decade comes knocking on my front door? I have 3 big goals this summer, and I’m dedicated to accomplishing them by my birthday weekend. I’m going to start sharing that journey on TikTok in June, so be sure to follow me over there. 

And most importantly, I want to enjoy this Summer. I don’t want to let a day be wasted. Summer has always been magical to me. This Summer will be no different. In fact, I plan to make it my most magical Summer yet. 

Cheers to Summer!