I am now unapologetically 30, and I am living the best life that I can. It’s now over 2 weeks since my birthday (it was on December 13th), and life has been happening as usual. Also, I have been very reflective and introspective for the last several weeks.
Now that I am starting to live the next decade of my life, a new set of priorities has come into mind, and a new perspective on how my life should be is also popping up. And I don’t know, sometimes it’s kind of nice to maintain certain birthday rituals alive.
We are talking about finances, professional aspirations, personal ambitions, my health (in all aspects, let’s be very clear), and so on. Being a thirty-something in today’s day and age remains complex. And these complexities vary from one person to another, they really do. Each of us is unique, and we come from various circumstances that help us define ourselves. After that, there’s a lot of individual work that we need to do to become the best version of ourselves possible.
So, let’s talk about it!
Money, Money, Money…
If you are reading these lines, and you are still in your 20s… please read carefully: financial literacy does wonders in today’s world. The many financial mistakes I made during my 20s can truly be described as embarrassing. Again, it is embarrassing, truly embarrassing for someone who’s college-educated and such.
Now that I’m 30, the time has come for my finances to FINALLY be on a proper track towards stability and potential “freedom” (I still find the term, financial freedom, as a complete myth but that’s a me issue) later on in my life. Being an only child from a couple who’s pretty much aging, experimenting with health issues more often, and of current retirement age… I’m in hot trouble.
For a plethora of reasons, financial issues are very common for gay men (and queer people in general) around the world. Fixing this aspect of my life is amongst my personal goals for 2024, because not only I want to travel out of the country more often, but also, Europe is quite expensive and I want to achieve my dream of attending my first ever Eurovision in-person in the foreseeable future.
Uncomfortable, Yet Thriving
As unapologetic as I can be, and now that I’m finally 30, I must also admit that I’m mostly uncomfortable and have made feeling such type of way my normal. Not so sure if my mindset is the appropriate one when it comes to this, but I do find that being uncomfortable has always made me move forward on certain aspects of my life.
When I say certain aspects, I talk about my professional life. Lately, I’ve been blessed in that field, both in my formal job + on my side jobs. My personal life… can be much, much, much better. Sometimes I wish I had a better relationship with my immediate family, and although I still believe I am fine with most of them, I usually remain a tad distant from most things and most people.
Does it make me feel quite uncomfortable at family meetings? Yes, all the damn time. Can it be extremely triggering at times? Yes, it’s super triggering all the time for me to be around them on either casual occasions or even in the annual family meetings, like the holiday season.
Professionally, although uncomfortable as heck, I’ve been thriving for a while. Personally, although extremely uncomfortable, I am more stuck than ever before. But, sometimes that’s just how life goes.
Time to Get Healthy
Let me be extremely honest (as possible) on this matter: I can’t delay prioritizing taking care of my health, in all aspects. There’s no chance to keep delaying this matter, especially if I want to lead a better life for myself and make it to very old age like many of my extended family has.
My family’s health history is quite a thing. Both of my parents are diabetic, there’s also an extensive record of cancer between both sides of the family. I have always delayed going to the doctor, there are many reasons behind why, and I think it’s important to get checked and see where you are standing.
Also, I’ve struggled with my weight for pretty much my entire life. When I was a little boy, I used to be pretty skinny. By the time I was in my teens, I was pretty overweight and have been like that ever since.
Going to the gym gives me a lot of anxiety (yes, I’m a little weird on that end), but for health reasons, I need to fully commit to working out and exercising any way I possibly can. If that helps me feel better, in any shape or form, that’s a small victory for me.
Final Thoughts
Won’t make this post extremely long, I have no reason to, but all I want to say is “Thank You!” to everyone who’s been a part of my life over the past year.
I am thankful for making it to 30. Happy to be alive, and be surrounded by many people who love me and appreciate me.
If you’ve made it all the way here… thank you for reading these lines! I hope you want to continue sharing this ride with me.
And I will wrap the article with my favorite song of 2023, “Tenue” by Dominican indie artist SNENiE.
Until next time!