I Choose

"Here I am now looking at 30 and I got so much to say."- India.Arie

I had been planning on doing this blog for a couple of weeks now as I was approaching my 30th birthday, but life got in the way. Somewhere between my friend's visit here, my sorority conference in Chicago, and my birthday celebration in D.C., I just didn't find the time to blog about what turning 30 would mean.

So I was asked several times if I had been hit with anxiety over leaving my 20s and my answer was and is "no." I feel like I did everything in my 20s that I was meant to do. Seriously, I feel that way.

Plus, I have had the opportunity to be surrounded by so many older, fabulous women in my life who have served as mentors, advisors and sometimes even lifelines.  From them, I learned that nobody should be afraid to live and learn and benefit from those lessons. Not that I'm rushing it, but I'm looking forward to the strength with which I will hold my convictions and my beliefs when I turn 40. I feel like 30 is when you can finally speak on some things with a bit of authority and people actually believe you have it. 

Also, I'm also noticing how much more I know "me." I think it does take a few years of living on your own before really knowing the person that you are absent from your family and friends. In knowing me, I tend to speak up more when something won't work for me. I can be honest when situations don't agree with me. I can admit when something is uncomfortable. Hell, I can go out, admit that I'm tired and return to my bed with no remorse of not proving I can hang longer. That's for the 20-somethings. I've already seen the sun set and sunrise on Bourbon St. in New Orleans with no sleep in between for days in a row. I can have an entire weekend of sitting on my ass and be cool with it. And something tells me this is only going to get better.