Chasing My Thirties Entry #10 - The Final Entry

Saturday August 2nd 2025

I'm about to enter my final week as a twenty something year old and I'm kind of feeling some type of way about it. I mean, how could I not, I'm about to close the final chapter of an entire decade. I'm not so much worried about getting older, I guess I'm just struggling to catch up with the fact that I'm going to be thirty years old in eight days. Growing up we're always rushing towards the next step and the next milestone without stopping to think about what we're going to do when we actually get there because once you do, then what?

Looking back on everything I've experienced in my twenties honestly just makes me want to cry. Not so much because of anything bad, I mean some moments were bad, sure, but some moments were also good. It's more so over the fact that I've lived so much life for someone who was so young to be experiencing certain things. I thought my teenage years were tough, but boy was I in for a surprise when I turned twenty. But I promised myself that I would leave all of the bad things that happened in the past so I can focus on a new and fresh start as I enter my thirties.

Throughout my twenties I've experienced a lot so I'm going to list some of them out because who doesn't love a good list?

• I became a published model and poet

• Walked in fashion shows as a runway model

• Published two books with a third on the way (I'm like 98% done editing the manuscript for my third book that I plan to publish later this year)

• I married my best friend

• I became a homeowner

• I've built a successful career for myself in the mortgage industry

• I've met some amazing people that I'm lucky to have in my life

• I learned the true value of friendship

• I learned that some people are only meant to be in your life temporarily

• I learned how to put myself first

• I learned how to start saying no to things I didn't want to be apart of

• I learned that my feelings truly do matter

• I learned how to love myself a little more than I was before

• I learned how to move forward after grieving the loss of a loved one

• I learned how to move forward in life knowing that I can survive anything life throws at me

• I learned that I'm worth fighting for

• I learned that God won't let something I want happen if He has something even better planned for me

• I learned that everything truly happens for a reason

• I've overcome so many battles with my health that I could take up at least four pages talking about

• I learned that it's okay to speak up for myself even if it hurts

• I learned that nobody knows what they're doing in life; the secret is to take things one day at a time as we figure it out along the way

• I learned that it's okay to not have all the answers

• I learned that it's okay to not know all the answers

• I learned that it's okay to make mistakes, just don't make the same mistake twice

• I learned that infertility is more common than people talk about

• I flew on a plane for the first time

• I traveled to new states

• I bought myself a car

• I had a newspaper article written about me when I published my first book

• I was featured in a magazines author spotlight

• I battled a lot of demons in my head but I didn't let them win

• I suffered a lot with my health, more than most people know about

• I learned to fight for the things that I wanted and to keep trying no matter what

• I beat the odds set against me by medical professionals, teachers, friends and family members

• I struggled a lot and I had some failures, but I never gave up on trying to get better

• I moved to a new state and started over fresh with my husband

• I learned how to do things I had never done before

• I studied and worked hard enough to pass a federal exam which allowed me to get my mortgage license

• I succeeded and built a career for myself without having to go to college

• I kept going when there were times when I really just wanted to give up

• I learned how to love myself a little better

• I kept going even when I stopped believing that I could

I have so many more things that I could add to this list, but it's getting late and I have dogs to feed, dinner to cook, and a manuscript to get back to editing.

I've loved, I've lost, I've suffered, I've failed and made mistakes and I've succeeded throughout my twenties. I'm really looking forward to this fresh new start once I turn thirty next Sunday. I've learned so much and I'm a much better person because of everything I've experienced. I hope my thirties are filled with as much love, laughter, peace, and happiness as I can get. I don't mind a little struggle, but if we can take it down a notch that would be wonderful because I've experienced enough to last me a lifetime. I thank God as often as I can for this beautiful life He's given me and I have a feeling things will only get better from here.

May my thirties be my best decade yet as I begin this next chapter of my life with experience, an open mind, and faith that everything is going to be alright.