The Older I Get...

One thing I've found about traveling is that it tends to make me more introspective.  You spend hours on a flight with no access to internet (I refuse to pay for WIFI) or your phone (which is actually quite glorious). I am often too tired to read, so often close my eyes and just think.  Lately I've been thinking about how fast time flies. Some days, I have to remind myself how old I am.  Yes, this is true.  Then when I remember how old I am, I think to myself - "really?  I am 31?"  And no, I do not think 31 is 'old' - it's just older than I feel.  The years have flown by and I still sometimes feel like a twenty-something. 

But then I stop and think about all the things I've recognized and realized over the years, and I think that this whole growing older process is a wonderful thing.  I would not reverse the clock back to my younger years because I would rather be at this age and retain the lessons I've learned, and the truths I've discovered.  I see other twenty-somethings struggling through the sometimes tough and tumultuous times of their twenties (which, in my experience, no one really talked about) and I want to say to them - hold on, it gets SO much better. 

Here is a hodge podge collection of some of the lessons I've learned, told from an "The Older I Get" frame of mind.

The Older I Get...

- the smarter and wiser my parents become.  I was so dismissive of their advice at a younger age.  Now I seek it out and value their perspective.

- the more I want to surround myself with people who challenge me to be a better person and hold qualities that I aspire to have, and the less I want to be around people who bring me down.

- the better I have gotten at dressing my body. Yes, this may seem shallow, but I personally think appearances do matter.  I spent so much of my 20s lamenting over the fact that I did not have a small waist.  Now I have found clothing that accentuates my assets, like my long, lean legs. 

- the less I worry about what my future holds.  I have learned to trust that things have a way of working themselves out.  I've been through some really tough, gut wrenching situations in both my career and dating life, and I've come out a stronger, better person. 

- the more I respect and appreciate the friends in my life that are very honest with me and love me enough to tell me the truth or tell me when they are worried about me and ask how they can help.  I try to be that kind of friend back to them, which means sometimes I come off as blunt, but I'd rather be known for being an honest friend. Gone are the days of telling a friend what they want to hear.  The truth, delivered with compassion, is so much more valuable.

- the more I realize that there is so much to discover and learn, and for me, the best way to learn more about the world and discover things about myself is to travel.

- it is ok to be a math-loving, number-adoring, booked-obsessed nerd.  I'm never going to be the 'cool kid' and I'm more than ok with this because it's much better to be myself.  My passions are what make me unique.

- the less I freak out about the fact that I may never get married.  I would be lying if I said I wouldn't be disappointed if my future does not include a husband and children, but it would not be the end of the world.  I know I would still live a full life and would flex my maternal muscle in relationships with my nephews, niece, and faux nephews and nieces.  I think getting to this point was important as dating feels a lot different now.  There is no sense of desperation or feeling of THIS HAS TO WORK.  Instead, it's a process of discovering if the guy is right for me.

I'll close with a quote from the book "Lean Forward Into Your Life" by Mary Anne Radmacher:

"Gentle soul, understand the longing of your life has already been answered.  Each day is a gift to be unwrapped.  It falls to your grace, your maturity, to understand the nature of the gift once it is opened."

What are some of the lessons you've learned as you've gotten older?

I flew in Charlotte last night and am here until Friday.  This is my last trip until the week of the election!  Hip hip hooray!!  Have a great rest of the week everyone - I'll see you all on the other side of 26.2!!!