Sri Lanka: 30 Spins Around the Sun

Sri Lanka, the Wonder of Asia. I wasn't expecting to love this untouched little country, big island so much. And that's the thing about traveling I've come to learn (amongst many, many other things)—don't expect anything, and you'll always be pleasantly surprised. No expectations.

Picture Indian colors meets tropical paradise meets Buddhist vibes. It really has it all Jungle, mountain, beach, and city.

And it’s where God brought me to celebrate my 30th trip around the sun. It was the perfect place to close out my trying twenties and eagerly welcome in my trusting thirties.

I celebrated alone, doing what I love most—exploring solo, meditating, eating delicious local eats, making new friends, chasing sunsets, chasing waterfalls, hiking, beaching, and being.

Closing out my twenties felt better than anything else in the world! I know I’m not alone when I say our twenties are tough. I think it’s especially true for our generation. We don’t want the safety of the 9-5, we’re influenced by the internet, knowing there’s so much more out there, but we’re also influenced by what we grew up around, the comfort and the security of that white-collar lifestyle. We question what our parents did, knowing deep down inside it’s not for us, but since we’re still so young and insecure, we just don’t know what else to do.

And let’s not get started on our love lives. Terrified of commitment yet not knowing how to be alone. Looking for validation in all of the wrong places. Thinking maybe he’s the one? Maybe?! Eh, he’ll do. Desperate because by 30 we need to have it all figured out, married with kids and the perfect salaried job, oh and the house, you’ll need the house.

Yet here I am, 30, alone, in a foreign country, no job, no husband, no kids, no house. Just me. And a bunch of locals throwing me fireworks, singing happy birthday and dancing Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” with me. I’ve never felt more free. I’ve never felt more me.

But I can’t judge that young girl from the past. She was doing the best she could at the level of her consciousness. I send her love, so much love, for she is worthy too. So worthy. Although I am happy to say goodbye. Thrilled, really.

And say HELLO to who I’ve always been. I welcome in my 30’s in this promised land. I promise to be real, to be raw, to wear what I want, style my hair how I want, to treat my body like the temple she is, to share my voice, loud and clear, to share love, create love, to put myself first, love myself more than anyone else, to not say sorry unless I really mean it, to not be sorry, to be open to all, to make every decision out of love, to be the wild woman I was born to be, to be unapologetically me.

As I blow out my birthday candle I decide no more wishes. Because a wish is telling the universe there’s something missing in your life. There’s a void that you wish to fill. And there’s no void. Only love. So instead I say thank you. Thank you for bringing me here, for bringing me to ME.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY. To ME!