Stepping into my 30s: An Ode to my 20s

Hi y’all,

Life has been busy. Full, overwhelming at times, but also beautiful in ways I’m still learning how to slow down and appreciate. And even in the middle of all of that, I knew I needed to sit down and write this.

Because in just a few days, I will be stepping into a new decade of life.

And that alone feels like something to pause for.

I wanted to take a moment to reflect. To sit in my feelings a little bit. To really acknowledge everything that my 20s have been. And yes, I am excited, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t also a little emotional about it.

Because my 20s have been a journey.

A real one.

2016 & 2026

I feel like every season of my life has come with some type of transition. Some moments felt exciting and full of promise, and others felt heavy, confusing, and honestly hard to understand while I was living through them. And something tells me that my 30s will come with their own version of that too, just in a different way. Maybe more intentional. Maybe more grounded. Maybe more aligned with who I am becoming.

But before I step into that, I want to honor where I have been.

I turned 20, and shortly after, my life changed in a way I could have never prepared for. My dad passed away unexpectedly in October of 2016. This year will make 10 years, and even writing that feels unreal.

Losing a parent at that age is something that shifts you. It changes the way you see life, the way you carry yourself, and the way you move through the world. I had to learn how to keep going without someone who had always been such an active and present part of my life.

And I will be honest, that was not easy.

But somehow, through God, through time, through the people around me, I found a way to keep moving forward. I didn’t always get it right, and I didn’t always feel strong, but I kept going.

And that matters.

Since then, so much has happened. I graduated. I moved to D.C. I started my career. I built a life for myself in a city that pushed me, stretched me, and helped shape the woman I am today.

There are so many details, so many moments, so many stories I could tell, but that is not even the point of this post.

What I really want to say is that life is not just the highlights.

We love to share the wins. The accomplishments. The pretty moments that look good on camera and feel good to talk about. And I am no different. I have shared those moments too.

But behind every season, there is a story.

There were seasons where I felt lost. Seasons where I questioned myself. Seasons where I did not feel like I was enough or where I was unsure of what was next. There were moments where I had to sit with myself and really figure out who I was becoming.

I was not perfect.

But I learned.

And this past year especially has been one of the biggest transitions of my life. I got laid off. I moved away from D.C. And then, somehow, I found my way back.

And looking back on it now, I can honestly say that none of it made sense while I was in it.

But it was necessary.

That season changed me in ways I cannot even fully explain. It strengthened me. It humbled me. It forced me to trust God in a way that was deeper than anything I had experienced before.

If you ask my friends, they will tell you. I am not the same person I was before.

And I am grateful for that.

Because through everything, I have learned that life is hard. And every single day, you have a choice.

A choice to show up for yourself.

A choice to keep going even when things feel uncertain.

A choice to believe that there is still something greater ahead for you.

We look at other people’s lives and think we understand their journey, but there is always more beneath the surface. There is always a story that people do not see.

So I hope you never give up on yourself.

And if you are someone who believes in God like I do, I hope you remember that He is always there, even when things do not make sense. Even when you are questioning everything. Even when you feel like you are in a season of waiting or transition.

Because I have learned that even when the light feels dim, it will shine again.

That is just how life works.

So to my 20s, thank you.

Thank you for the lessons.

Thank you for the growth.

Thank you for the memories, both the good and the hard.

I learned. I lost. I gained. I cried. I laughed.

And most importantly, I kept getting up. I kept choosing myself, over and over again.

And there is only one person I can truly thank for that.

God.

As I step into this next chapter, I am choosing to give myself grace. I am choosing to be patient with myself. I am choosing to trust that everything is unfolding exactly how it is supposed to.

And if you are reading this and you are in a season of transition, or stepping into a new year of life, I hope you are gentle with yourself too.

You are allowed to grow.

You are allowed to change.

You are allowed to take your time.

And never stop believing in your dreams.

Even if it does not look like it right now, even if it feels uncertain, even if it takes longer than you expected.

It will come together.

It always does.

Just a Southern girl, growing through it all.