Thirty

Today, I turn 30.

And I'm feeling reflective, so please bear with me here as I ponder my life...

As a teenager, I had my life mapped out. I would finish school, go to university, then spend a year in London. My twenties would be spent living the glamourous single life, travelling the world and working in an amazing career. I would live either by myself or with a couple of friends, and we'd all hit the town every weekend. Then, in my thirties, I would 'settle down'. I'd get married, have some kids and live a quieter, more domestic life. I hadn't thought past that - as a teenager, thinking past thirty is incomprehensible.

The reality of my life has been somewhat different. Yes, I finished school and went to university (although I dropped out after one semester, I went back later and studied another course - so I got there in the end). I had my career (I wouldn't call it an 'amazing' one but it was a good career nonetheless) but I was officially jaded with the corporate world by the age of twenty-eight.

In my personal life, my plans took an unexpected turn. I met Steve when I was eighteen, and by the time I was at the age I had planned to be hitting the town and living overseas, I found I was too much in love. And I was more than happy to stay here with him and plan for our future. By the age of twenty, we had bought our house and we were engaged to be married. We were married when I was twenty-two. Abbey was born when I was twenty-eight.

I travelled in my twenties - with Steve, I went to London, Paris, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Vienna, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Central Australia and Tasmania, as well as lots of camping trips around Victoria. I had planned to see much more of the world by the time I reached thirty, but I'm excited about doing it all in my thirties, forties and beyond.

Now, at thirty, I find it interesting to look at how my life is playing out. And I've realised that planning everything out is ridiculous, as I see all the things I would have missed out on if I'd stuck to my stringent plans. Now I know that it doesn't matter so much what you're doing, as long as you're happy doing it.

So, instead of plans, here are my hopes for my thirties:

I hope to be as happy during this next decade as I am right now. I've reached a point where I can say, 'I'm happy' without qualifying it with an 'if' or a 'but'. I hope to stay that way.

I hope I have another child and spend my thirties raising my children and being the best mother and wife I can be.

I hope that, as a family, we can travel lots more. Around Australia, overseas - anywhere, as long as we're together and seeing and learning new things.

I hope that I can continue writing and forge a career out of doing what I love.

I have a great feeling about my thirties.

Also wishing Emily a very happy birthday today! xx


Megan