Turning 30 is surreal.
Age is just a number — and yet, 30 feels like more than that. It marks the end of a decade that shaped me, and the beginning of something I can’t quite define yet. Maybe it's the first time I’ve truly felt age isn’t about counting years — it’s about noticing how you carry them.
30 was significant for my dad too. The year he turned 30, I was born — just weeks after he lost his own father. I think about how much heavier life must have felt for him, and how my problems feel trivial in comparison. But in different ways, we all carry both joy and struggle through these milestone years.
This past year, I moved forward in life more than any other: marriage (three weddings!), new responsibilities at work, buying a home — the list goes on. It’s almost impossible to wrap it all up neatly. But here’s my attempt: 30 bullet points, each a little moment or lesson from my 30th year.
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I turned 30 with a weekend full of sunshine, meditation, and outdoor time. I felt loved, grounded, and exactly where I needed to be.
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Hiking with Mando on my birthday reminded me how peaceful it is to walk slowly and have nowhere to rush. Mando, my dog, brings more meaning and companionship than I could have imagined.
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I looked back at my parents’ 30s and felt grateful for the life they made possible for me. I grokked what it means to stand on the shoulder of giants, and how important it is to pay it forward.
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I noticed more of the stories I tell myself — about worth, timelines, progress — and started to question which ones were actually true. I noticed more similarities between myself and my parents, in a way that I cannot explain yet.
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We traveled to Japan and found joy in slow mornings, good food, and the electric, chaotic energy of Tokyo.
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I learned that chasing goals too hard can make you miss what’s already here.
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Most problems shrink when I stop assuming the worst and expand the way I’m looking at them.
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Meaning is a choice. Framing what happens with intention makes life lighter.
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I wrote & committed to my wedding vows not to impress, but to be honest and lasting.
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I got married and had three weddings — in Madison, my hometown, and hers. Each one stitched together a different part of our lives. All the hours of planning were well worth it.
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I saw my mom getting stronger. Instead of trying to fix things for her, I practiced simply being present.
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Wedding prep and travel made me realize how essential it is to pause and breathe.
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Owning a house, learning to be handy brings a lot of groundness, challenges, and joy.
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I learned that doing everything myself doesn’t mean doing it better — sometimes it just means doing it more tired. Letting others help is part of growing up.
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I only snowboarded 1 day in 2024 seasion, but it reminded me of joy in motion.
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You don’t need permission to do what you love. Just stop postponing.
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Restlessness fades when I stop resisting what is.
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Journaling created clarity. It wasn’t about documenting — it was about leaving it on paper so it is out of the head.
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I practiced asking: “Is this thought helping me?” That question alone created space.
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Presence > performance. Especially in relationships.
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I opened up more. Shared the things I used to keep to myself. Turns out, people can only meet you where you let them.
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I stayed steady even when things didn’t go my way. Not everything needs fixing.
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I stopped tying my worth to output. Just showing up, with intention, was enough to make progress.
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Action drives emotion. Doing something — even small — often shifted how I felt way more than overthinking ever could.
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Small shifts mattered. Less scrolling, more walks. Less comparison, more doing.
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Energy > time. 20 focused minutes can beat 8 distracted hours.
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I started asking better questions: “What would this look like if it were easy?”
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I built systems instead of waiting for motivation. Structure gave me room to breathe, and repeat.
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Confidence came from action, not readiness.
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I turned 31 with tired legs, a calm heart, and a quiet goal: be more resilient.