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So, I (Rachel) am turning 30 in just a few days. And in true nerd fashion, I wanted to celebrate by having a deep conversation. It’s a party in Ravenclaw tower, ya’ll. BYOB. Bring your own butterbeer. 😉
I insisted on being the “normal person” for this month’s interview, because I’m always the expert (well, at least when you hear me on the podcast … not so sure about the rest of the time!).
Kristen came up with a bunch of questions that I didn’t get to prepare for, so enjoy my spur-of-the-moment musings about …
- How I feel about turning 30. (SO many mixed feelings!)
- The best and worst things that happened in my 20s (I delve into the worst year of my life … it was a DOOZY).
- What I used to believe, and why I no longer believe it.
- Why I couldn’t take a deep breath for most of my 20s, and how I recovered from crippling anxiety.
- My best wisdom for anyone still in their 20s and looking to make the most of it (in true fashion, my advice is so NOT age-specific).
- PLUS, she subjected me to a SERIOUSLY DIFFICULT lightening round of “this or that” questions like, “Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle?” and “Order of the Phoenix or Deathly Hallows?” A true Sophie’s Choice situation!
Want to give me a birthday treat? If you haven’t had a chance yet, leave us a rating and a review on the podcast! It’d make my day!
And after you’ve listened, scroll down to the comments section and tell me how this episode resonated with you, and particularly what YOUR answers would be for the lightening round questions!
IF YOU LIKED THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL ALSO LOVE…
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- Side Chat: How to figure out what to do with your life
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS EPISODE
- Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver
- E-Squared by Pam Grout
- The Unmistakeable Touch of Grace by Cheryl Richardson
- Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle
As someone more than half through my 30’s, the 30’s are amazing. I feel so secure, confident, and just… content. My life is in motion, but it’s kind of sustained by inertia. The framework is there – the results of so many big choices of my 20’s – and I like it. My relationships are so… good. There’s a lack of competition, and it’s more about realizing we’re all in this together.
“Calmer” is a hard word to apply to my life (I became a mom at 28, so 30’s is “parenting young children” for me), but my life is just more gelled. I love it.
That’s so encouraging to hear, Anna! I turned 30 late last year, and I’m already feeling the heightened confidence and contentment that I keep hearing is a big part of the 30s. I’m loving it so far! Thanks for listening and sharing your experience. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that Anna! That sounds awesome. I can’t wait! 🙂
Happy early birthday Rachel! It was delightful getting to know you better through this interview. So many random thoughts to share:
1. I also visited Scotland the year I turned 30! Hope you both have an amazing time and looking forward to whatever you feel like sharing on Instagram.
2. I have 5 tabs open right now looking at books and other favorites you mentioned…
3. …including the Taylor Swift song. Which made me think of the song “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson…not all of the lyrics applied, but I have a very vivid memory of driving from visiting my family in Minnesota back to Wisconsin where I was working at my first post-college job, looking at the fall foliage on a bright sunny day and realizing wow, I’m kind of on my own now…in a scary but thrilling way. “I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly,” sings the cheesy 22-year-old in my head.
4. Totally feel you on trying to sleep after watching GoT…my mind was racing after the events of the last season finale; can’t even imagine what it will be like watching the final season when EVERYTHING is significant.
On a deeper level, I wish I had something more profound to say about turning 30 now that I’m 6 years in… My 30s started on an upswing in confidence and contentedness that’s since tapered off, but that upswing came out of a struggle in my 20s of finding the right path, so I’m hopeful the next right path is around the corner – working on it with tools from the PPVE. 😉
Feel free to be the “normal” people on your podcast anytime!
Thank you Molly! I’m glad you had fun with this one. I love that you also visited Scotland when you turned 30!! And I’m so happy that you’re checking out some of my favorite things! Haha. OMG I have so much anxiety thinking about the last season of GOT–I’m equally thrilled and terrified, lol. And I think you’ll definitely turn a corner. When you zoom out and look at your life from the perspective of a whole decade, I think it makes sense that not every moment or year was awesome and satisfying. There are natural ups and downs to any decade! I bet you’ll hit some high notes way before you reach the next decade marker. 🙂
Happy birthday! Have a great day, and a great year!
🙂
Audrey
Thank you Audrey! 🙂
Happy belated birthday Rachel! I feel like I know you on a different level. I’m so glad you guys gifted us with this podcast. It was an awesome interview and Kristen asked some really great questions. As with most of your advice and wisdom, there was a lot of things that resonated with me. “Do what feels good to you” best advice ever! Of course, I appreciated the deep stuff like what you said about trusting and believing that something (the Universe) is supporting you and how you don’t always know what’s best but you have to be more open to getting what you need instead of what you want. Figuring out how to walk the line between human and spirit, as well as trusting and going with the flow and being pissed about it really echoed in my soul. I loved your answer about what you’ll miss about your 20’s-being young. I’m so glad you were able to experience such clarity and resilience in your twenties. I think it’s great! I wish you many more years of wonderful life experiences, knowledge and wisdom!
Thank you so much Francisca! Reading this was like getting a big birthday hug from you! 🙂