Another year around the sun, another year I’m ever-grateful to experience the privilege of growing older. At 33-years-old, fresh off the heels of another wonderful birthday, I can’t help but smile as I reflect on the person I’ve become over the last three decades plus — the big-hearted, Taylor Swift-loving, life’s-what-you-make-it kind of person who writes this post today. Here’s a little secret: I used to be scared of the number 30. But after turning 30, and now the big double-3, I’ve come to realize that life in my thirties is not as scary as I originally thought it would be — it’s actually exciting, revitalizing in so many ways. I’m no longer chasing the milestones society tells me to chase. I move at my own pace. I’m no longer comparing my life to those around me. I water my own grass. I don’t dwell on the fact that my life might look a little bit different than I originally planned. Instead, I appreciate the fact that I’m here today — alive and well — living my life IN and FOR every moment, big or small. Enjoying life, ready for what’s next, equal parts content and eager to see what lies ahead.

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