5 Reasons Why 30 Is Way Better Than 20

5 Reasons Why 30 Is Way Better Than 20

• 1.30.2015

Tomorrow I turn 30 years old.  30!  You guys, I'm flipping out.  I mean, I remember my parents being this age.  I remember when 30 was old.  And here it is!  Commencing into a new decade has made me a bit nostalgic, remembering all that has happened in the last ten years.  It's been an eventful decade to put it lightly!  I know my thirties will just be an extension of the last three years: living in the same house, raising kids, taking pictures, etc.  Nothing will really change, so why is this so HARD?!  Eeep!

 Image via Clipart

So in an effort to convince myself otherwise, I'm writing a list of the reasons why my 30's will still rock and might even be a wee bit ton better than my 20's.  And I think you'll agree. 

1.  We're not students anymore!  Let's face it, though I could devour an entire dessert pizza in one sitting and not see its effects on my thighs, school was stressful and expensive.  I was dirt poor in college.  (I remember my bank account zeroing out and selling my plasma for money at the end of one semester.  Then I found a real job.  Ha!)  And Bron and I were dirt poor through his Master's degree in New York.  We lived on less than $20K a year with no government assistance.  AND we had a baby.  Those years will forever be influential in my life, but I would never really want to repeat them.  Instead, we are now reaping the rewards of all that hard school work.  Bron has a career that actually makes money now!  His job provides a beautiful home to live in, pays all our bills, puts delicious food on the table, and the best part?  We can afford HOBBIES!  We now have the time and money to mountain bike, to go out on regular dates, and to buy me that new lens I've been dreaming about--to name just a few.  What a luxury!  Life is so much comfier now.  Having a real job rocks.

2.  A happy and slightly weathered marriage.  No more awkward dates that feel like eons, but in reality last just three hours.  No more wondering what he thinks of me, if he's being completely honest with me, if he's "the one" etc.  I am waaay beyond that!  I now go to sleep in the warm embrace of my best friend.  We often talk into the wee hours of the night.  Bron is my best friend and my life's witness.  But the difference about marriage from our early twenties compared to our thirties is that our marriage is weathered a bit.  Nearly eight years later, our relationship has survived plenty of ups and downs and I think we're tighter because of it.  We've also had sufficient time to "train" one another to our likes and expectations.  It's a happy and fulfilling relationship we've got going on.

3.  My children actually like me!  Right now Jed and Levi truly do NEED me to help them with many of their daily living necessities and tasks, but they also WANT me there too.  They think I'm pretty cool and that I cannot do any wrong.  I am their best friend.  They want me present to chase them around at the park, push them on the swings, and race them down the slides.  They want me to read and sing and snuggle at bedtime.  It's a demanding but magical season of life.  Ten years from now, the boys will probably turn into a pair of snotty all-knowing teenagers that will be a bit embarrassed to be seen with me in public.  So I'm going to soak in the unconditional love of these early years for all they're worth!    

4.  We're established.  We bought a home and are putting our roots down.  There are perks to travel and adventure (and we plan on doing some of that for sure!), but there is a sense of comfort and security that come with developing life-long friendships and creating a love and loyalty to our hometown.  There is plenty to explore and experience right here too!

5.  Honestly, I'm still young, but with a little life experience under my belt.  Though they may fit a bit differently now, I still wear some of the same size clothing I did in college.  (That's called pregnancy and birth experience.)  I still have my health and energy.  I can run and ski and hike and mountain bike ride.  And sure, I may have a few fine lines beginning to form around my eyes, but I call it character.  A little life experience has helped me gain a tad more grace in exchange for judgement and what it means to act selflessly.  The world is still at my feet; anything is possible.  It's just that the parts that bring me the most happiness are already locked in: my family--Bron, Jed, and Levi.

So as exciting and life-altering as my 20's were, I think I'm okay leaving them behind.  Because life is just as good, if not better now, than it's ever been.  Bring it on, 30!