Thirty, Flirty, & Thriving
Hey friends!
Last Thursday was my 30th birthday! Can you believe it? I know I can’t! I’m truly blessed to be celebrating another year. I don’t think it’s hit me that I’ve entered a new decade, haha. Perhaps I just need some time for it all to sink in. As Jenna Rink would say, “I’m thirty, flirty, and thriving,” am I right? Haha, comment below if you know what movie I’m referring to :)
15 years ago my English teacher had us write a letter to our thirty-year-old selves. She wanted us to write about the present and the future. We were to talk about our hopes, our dreams, and where we expected to be in 15 years. We were to keep it until we turned thirty. I’m happy to report I’ve kept mine in a safe place and actually remembered to open it. Here is what I wrote:
Hey to my 30-year old self! Right now, I’m 15 years old and a sophomore at Lincoln East High School. This year has been the best year of my life so far, excluding the home life, but besides that, this year has been great! I’ve really learned a lot about myself this year and have started to see what life is all about. I have the most awesome friends: Kelly, Sky, Ginny, and Katie. These guys have been there for me through everything, and we have some unforgettable memories that I will never forget for as long as I live. I love these guys to death. They are practically my sisters. Writing this letter for Mrs. Dowding’s English class is a really fun assignment, in my opinion.
I really can’t imagine where I’ll be in 15 years, but I plan on going to college to study music and theater arts. My dream is to become a singer/actress. I’m not sure if that will happen, but I know I will never give up on my dream. Also, by the time I’m 30, I hope to be happily married and have a few kids. I hope to be living in either California or New York. I’m not sure what I’m going to look like, I think pretty much the same, except maybe taller, and I don’t know; I just hope I still look good! I’m sure a lot is going to happen in 15 years. I mean, right now, my biggest concerns are getting my driver’s license, which I will be getting in 3 months, and graduating, go class of 2009! By the time I’m 30, I’ll probably be dealing with bigger issues, but I just hope to be a successful and happy person. I still can’t picture myself being 30, but I hope when I’m 30, I’ll have just as much fun as I am now, being 15, and that all my dreams come true.
Wow. Reading this letter as an adult has me feeling all kinds of emotions. There’s an innocence about the letter—a sense of nostalgia. I was so naive :) For the record, I’m still the same height. Wishful thinking, I suppose ;). It’s kind of crazy, but I also felt sad after reading the letter. When I wrote it, there were a lot of hard times still to come. There I was at 15, on top of the world (or so I thought). Little did I know that the next couple of years would be some of the darkest years of my life.
It’s funny how life doesn’t exactly go as planned. I may not have gone and studied music after high school, but music is still a part of my life. These days I’m singing in the church choir. I didn’t move to New York or California, but I did get to visit the Big Apple, and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to go back someday, and who knows, maybe someday I’ll plan a trip out to California :) I don’t have any kids yet, but I am happily married to the man that stole my heart at the tender age of 19. I’m forever thankful to God for putting him in my life when he did. Kent was precisely the kind of man I needed. He was supportive and caring. He made me laugh and showed me how beautiful life could be. He encouraged me to be myself, and I found newfound confidence that I hadn’t had before. I am who I am today because of his love and guidance.
My twenties were a period of self-growth for me. During these years, I found myself in a job that I thought was just a pit stop in my journey. It ended up being the start of my career. I began college. Nursing was the plan, but plans change. I graduated with my degree in marketing. I made mistakes. I learned my lesson. I fell in and out of love and broke some hearts along the way. I traveled. Adventures were had, and memories were made. I found the “one.” I married him on 09.21.19. My twenties is where I found myself. I’m forever grateful for every experience, every heartache, every opportunity, and every day lived because I’m a better person for it. I’m excited for this new chapter in my life, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Cheers to 30! Let’s do this!
Love, Brandi