Today we continue with the Becoming Thirty series with one of my best old friends, Chelsea Horsley from the blog Yours Truly. We met in line in for Dance Company try-outs back in eight grade, and have been friends ever since (we both made the team.) Chelsea has always been a girl (then woman) that I admired. She is a portrait of elegance and class, while still remaining down to earth, approachable, and sometimes really goofy! In the last couple years her talent for interior design has been noticed, and she is currently a contributor to Copy Cat Chic, as well as a Style Maven at the brand new Joy and Revelry. I love Chelsea’s thoughts about Becoming Thirty, and hope you do, too!

Throughout this year, I will be sharing the stories, experiences, and advice about “Becoming Thirty” from friends and readers. It has been such a milestone for me, and I know turning thirty feels different for everyone. I would love to hear about your experience! Email me your story at miranda@onelittleminuteblog.com.  

Hello! I’m delighted Miranda asked me to talk about turning and being thirty. It’s been a few months now, and I’ve yet to document any of it for myself, so this feels nice to put it into words, and of course, to get to know some of you better. Here we go!

       Is it weird to say I didn’t mind turning thirty one bit? I hope not. I was even a little excited! It’s not that I have sky high confidence. It’s not that I can’t see those eye wrinkles creeping in. It’s definitely not because I still have that hot bikini body from my teens. As odd as it sounds, I’ve felt as though I was thirty for the past couple years, even though I’ve only been thirty for a few months now. But maybe not in the way you might think.

       Listen folks, by 28 I had three children. A lot for someone in their “twenties” to have, right? But… enter your thirties and, BAM it’s a whole new club. A club where multiple kids running around is totally normal. Yes! Let’s get one thing straight first- this wasn’t entirely about me feeling normal. My confidence is okay. I just got tired of people reacting so dramatically to my having three kids by 28. I embraced Club 30 with open arms. There was also part of me that just felt thirty. The last few years of my life included moving back into the US from the Caribbean, giving birth to twins, one of which has special needs, moving again to another state, and starting a new job, all while my husband was in medical school. I’m okay admitting that it completely rocked my world, and every bone in my body, pore on my face, and now gray hair on my head felt it. Club 30. Yes!

       It’s not that I’ve thrown in the towel. In a lot of ways, quite the opposite. I just feel I fit this age better. Like the way you might fit into a 10 better than an 8 like you thought, and you’re like “wait, these actually make me look thinner!” I fit into Club 30 better. My age now matches the way I feel on the inside, how I hope I’m acting on the outside, my social circle, and my phase in life. I liked my twenties, but felt great about what was in store for my thirties!

       The twenties for me were all about starting. Starting my marriage, starting my family, starting our careers, and really starting our lives together as the Horsley Family. I’m so excited for my thirties to settle a little more, just be a little more, and embrace Club 30.