Saying Bye to Your 20s with Scandal, Travel + Reflection
3 years ago almost to the day I decided to document my countdown to 30. I’m approaching my 33rd birthday, my Jesus year if you will, and I can’t think of a better time to share this with the world.
When I wrote these daily reflections my goal was that I’d one day compile them as an ebook for people to share with their loved ones as they countdown to their 30s.
This mae be an unpopular opinion, but I was always excited to hit my 30s. It just seemed like I’d have everything figured out and life would be smooth-sailing.
LMAO. That was absolutely not the case. Instead, my 30th year ended up being the worst of my life, but it led me to where I am now and for that, I’m forever grateful.
This series runs from April 1st through my birthday, May 2nd. You can follow along here for the full series and for a copy of the ebook when it drops.
30 Days til’ Mae
It’s April 1, 2019. It’s 5:51 PM in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I’m chilling at my favorite spot, Hostel Eighty8. It says a lot about me that my most productive workspace in the world is a divey, yet (mostly) clean hostel complete with a small pool and weed in the air. The music is ALWAYS on point and tonight’s soundtrack is straight afro beats. I’m poolside, sipping tequila preparing to beast out some resumes before meeting up with some nomad friends. Moments like this, when I feel so comfortable in one of the many foreign lands that I’ve come to call home, I have to stop and think about the days when I’d dream of a life like this.
I got my first passport at the age of 20. I was going to leave the country for the first time to study abroad for 5 months in Paris. It was required for my French bachelor’s, which is one of many reasons why I chose my alma mater. Since that day, my passport has been my most prized possession. Some time along the way, I made it a goal to see 30 countries by my 30th birthday. Now, one month away from my 30th, I’m just two countries away from reaching my goal. I will celebrate my birthday with my friends in Mexico so I’ve just one more to hit before then. It’s crazy that for most people, the goal of being in 3 different countries in one month is absurd, but for me it’s not only the norm, but I’ve seen more than 3 countries in one week throughout these past 3 years of nomadism.
Sometimes I wish 20 year old me with that new passport knew what her life would like be 10 years later, but I’m happy that it’s all just slowly unfolded. In the past 10 years, I’ve established a pretty cool resume, have met some of the coolest people on the planet, have made it through some challenging situations — both abroad and at home — and have managed to accomplish my ultimate goal of getting to travel the world on my own terms. Now, I’m not traveling, this is my lifestyle.
I’ve grown in just about every way possible and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. These next 30 days will be full of gratitude, reflection and forgiveness. Thanks for coming along for the ride! To my fellow millennials about to enter a new decade, this is for you.
You’re going to hear a lot of names that mean nothing to you, but they mean a lot to me. Here are some of my fave humans:
- Geniuses: collectively refers to Dayo, Kenny and [redacted]
- Laina
- Lovell
- Wnuk
- Chad
- Kim
Until tomorrow…
Mae
