I’ve reached an age that my adolescent self thought of as pretty old: 34.  I remember as a pre-teen thinking that celebrities in their 30s were washed up.  Why is she still making music (or movies, or whatever)?  Doesn’t she know she’s not cool anymore?  Ah, youth.

I still feel pretty young.  I’m not so sure about the cool part, but at this point, I no longer care about being cool anyway.  The future doesn’t seem quite as expansive as it once did — the possibilities aren’t quite as endless — but I hope I still have a good many more years ahead of me than behind me.  Life’s a little more complicated than it used to be, but if I decided I really wanted to make a big change, I could still do it.  I would just do it a lot more intentionally and a lot less impulsively than I might have a decade or so ago.

I can honestly say that I love my life.  If you had showed 15-year-old me a video of my life today, I’m not sure I would have recognized myself.  I would never have predicted that I’d be a lawyer living in Appalachia.  But through a combination of choices and chance, here I am, living in a beautiful place with my little family, doing work that I find interesting and meaningful.  I don’t know what my life will look like 34 years from now, but it seems easier to picture than it once did.

After years of questioning whether I’d made the right decisions, I’ve reached a place of contentment.  I’ve achieved sufficient mastery in my career that, while I’m still regularly challenged, I’m confident in my abilities and know that I can hold my own.  I understand who I am and who I want to be.  I have wonderful friends, an adorable son, and a loving husband.  I can afford to live comfortably and embark on adventures from time to time.  I have a decent sense of which things are worth worrying about and which things aren’t.  I feel fairly certain that whatever misfortunes may befall me, I have what it takes to make it through the tough times, and I will be okay.  That’s no small thing.

I’m more selective than I used to be about nearly everything.  Time, money, and attention are not infinite.  I understand better than ever that if I want to have a life filled with the things I love, I must say no to all the other things that don’t really matter.  Time in particular feels more abundant when I’m not trying to divide it among a million tasks and activities.  I have no FOMO; I’m embracing JOMO.

In the coming years, I plan to keep working toward financial security and physical health so that I can live a long, happy life.  And, of course, I’ll continue to share my thoughts and experiences with you.  For today, I’ll celebrate my 34th year with family and friends — and ice cream cake, of course.

XO,

Alexis