This month marks the official lead-up to my 35th birthday.
That feels wild to say because I often find myself thinking back to my 30th birthday milestone. Parts of me long to return there and mourn how quickly time has passed. However, there is actually little significance in dwelling on my 30th birthday—it coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. That celebration was marked by loneliness, nervous anticipation, and restriction.
For the next 22 days (until my actual birthday), I’m focusing intentionally on all the things I love. I’m consciously leaning into these things despite the chaos that surrounds us in the world. It’s going to be a challenge, but this is something I need to do to set the foundation for the next five years and beyond.
It’s not that I want to centre myself selfishly, but someone significant said something that has profoundly impacted me recently. She told me that things are going to work out because when she was my age, her journey to 40 included some of the best years of her life—years marked by beautiful career advancement, personal growth, and a confidence she had never experienced before.
I’m choosing to manifest that same trajectory for my own journey to 40. It feels absolutely right to prioritise this, especially given the significant growth I’ve experienced over the last six months. It feels natural and within arm’s reach, and I genuinely have nothing to lose—only so much to gain.
So, here we go. Here are 22 things I absolutely love:
Creative Expression & Art
- Being creative
- My studio and the energy it brings me
- Art
- My art school journey
- Taking photos
- Writing
People Who Fill My Soul
- My husband
- My in-laws
- My therapist
Values & Causes That Drive Me
- Feminism and Activism
- Identifying and exposing harmful perspectives
- Women-led brands
Experiences That Move Me
- The ocean
- Cape Town mountains
- Music that moves my soul
- Flowers
Personal & Professional Growth
- Creative strategy thinking
- Therapy and self-discovery
- My resilience
Things That Make Me, Me
- The colour pink
- My hair
- My tattoos
I’m excited for the next 22 days. I still feel a slight tinge of apprehension at the thought of turning 35, but I’m hoping these coming days will guide me into a place of acceptance, joy, and confidence about my age and where I’m in life.
I’m curious about how each day will unfold as I set out to explore the various things I’ve listed above. I’ve kept each item brief and open-ended so as not to predetermine how each piece should develop.
There’s freedom and creativity in this focused series, and each day offers an opportunity to create space for myself in the most authentic way possible.
The journey begins now.
