The day after my I officially hit 30, I slept for 14 hours straight. When I finally woke up, I was stunned that it was even possible for someone for sleep that long without being anesthesized. Such is the delicious exhaustion that comes with knocking off a list of 30 incredible things in the span of 14 months.
After writing my last post, I took a long hiatus from blogging and writing, and went about enjoying summer in the city and everything it had to offer. Through the madness and incessant hubbub of activity that is summer in New York, I realized that underneath it all I am a woman at peace. That desperate feeling of life having passed me by that dogged me in my late 20s was gone. Any feelings of inadequacy and insecurity had dissipated too; I know my place in the world and I'm secure in the knowledge of what I'm capable of. Best of all, I know that I am always surrounded and bolstered by friends and family who will love me and see me through anything. I am, for all intents and purposes, a happy, happy woman.
The strange thing, though, was realizing that while I'm perfectly happy to be where I am at the age of 30, to some people I seem to be, to put it as nicely as possible, a good wine that must be consumed right now lest I go off or need to be marked down. People constantly ask me whether I plan on getting married soon or whether I'm panicking that I'm not yet settled down. Well, on my own I feel absolutely no sense of panic, but mass hysteria catches on real quickly, you know ...
Which brings me to how I came up with my new blog:
After writing my last post, I took a long hiatus from blogging and writing, and went about enjoying summer in the city and everything it had to offer. Through the madness and incessant hubbub of activity that is summer in New York, I realized that underneath it all I am a woman at peace. That desperate feeling of life having passed me by that dogged me in my late 20s was gone. Any feelings of inadequacy and insecurity had dissipated too; I know my place in the world and I'm secure in the knowledge of what I'm capable of. Best of all, I know that I am always surrounded and bolstered by friends and family who will love me and see me through anything. I am, for all intents and purposes, a happy, happy woman.
The strange thing, though, was realizing that while I'm perfectly happy to be where I am at the age of 30, to some people I seem to be, to put it as nicely as possible, a good wine that must be consumed right now lest I go off or need to be marked down. People constantly ask me whether I plan on getting married soon or whether I'm panicking that I'm not yet settled down. Well, on my own I feel absolutely no sense of panic, but mass hysteria catches on real quickly, you know ...
Which brings me to how I came up with my new blog:
Part diary, part manifesto, it's my attempt to challenge myself and hopefully others to redefine what it means to live happily ever after. Since childhood, girls have been conditioned to think that happily ever after only begins once Prince Charming comes along to rescue us from our dreary lives. I like fairytale endings as much as the next person—but I'd like to believe finding Prince Charming isn't a prerequisite to happiness. This blog is my way of celebrating the happily ever after in the here and now, and I hope that you, my dear readers, will follow and join the conversation in this new project as you did with 30 Before 30.
Thank you all for your invaluable support and insights during 30 Before 30. Hopefully this isn't goodbye—just a segue into a new conversation!
If this has piqued your curiosity at all, I would be thrilled if you would visit The Happily Ever After Project at http://www.thehappilyeverafterproject.com.
Thank you all for your invaluable support and insights during 30 Before 30. Hopefully this isn't goodbye—just a segue into a new conversation!
