#30Tirement

Home sweet home - Anchorage, Alaska

 Two weeks ago, I spontaneously marched in and quit my job and sold most of my belongings. One week ago I booked a one-way ticket across the world (I leave this afternoon!)... Mid-life crisis? Pure craziness? I prefer to call it 30-Tirement....

This year I hit the big 3-0, and I have to admit that my last year of my 20's and first half of year 30 had their moments of doom and gloom. After being in my third wedding in a row this year, plus the constant baby shower invites and bombardment of "look at my kid" photos on facebook and instagram, this single 30 year old can't help but feel a little sorry for myself, wondering why everyone else seems to have their lives together. It doesn't help that I live in a place called Utah, where my thirty year old patients are on their 5th-12th child and the first question I get at work is always, "How many kids do you have?" followed by, "Oh, so you're still single?" (with a look of pure disbelief). Couple that with coworkers who grumble "I remember the days when I could do things like go running" when they ask you about your weekend plans (that involve a 15 mile trail run)... and it's downright depressing. You almost feel guilty with all of the freedom, yet lonely at the same time.

One of my fellow single friends recently mentioned that nowadays when people invite her to weddings, they have stopped assuming she will even bring a boyfriend. (Yup, I can relate to that!) But let's not forget that being single and 30 definitely has its perks. For example, when your wedding date bails on you the night before, you can meet someone at the bar and sell them on going to the wedding reception, meeting the next day for drinks first to iron out the details (basic demographics, relationship details such as "we met salmon fishing on the Kenai two years ago..."), and then proceed to fool everyone with your wedding crasher who turns out to be the life of the party! (Ok, I've only done that once. To this day, my coworkers still ask about him!)

You can pour yourself into your career and family and friends, or take up marathon training and photography for fun, or travel across the world, but from my perspective there will always be a little void in there. You suddenly know exactly what you want, which makes dating that much more challenging compared to your early 20's. And now it seems that everyone is cyber dating, and I just cant bring myself to jump on that bandwagon (plus, it's so time consuming!)

However, I do believe that the harder you look for something, the more it avails you. So I've decided to change my attitude towards relationships in my 30th year of life. First of all, I need to love myself and be happy with myself before I can support someone else. This is harder than it sounds. Secondly, I need to make sure I am devoting my energy and time into a fulfilling career that is my calling. And have faith that the rest will fall into place when it's supposed to.

Literally every day I have a patient say to me, "I finally made it to 65, but now my ____ (insert back, knees, etc. here) are messed up and I can't travel and do the things I always dreamed of doing when I retire." And "Take my advice, travel and explore while you are young."

I think a lot of people are stuck in their comfort zones and live in a monotonous indifference toward their job/career. I never want to get there! I refuse to dread work day in and out.. and after a few years with the same company, that's exactly where I was, completely burned out and exhausted and feeling like I had little to show for it. Don't get me wrong, my organization is fantastic and I've had a great overall experience there. But when I got to the point where I was so stressed that people told me, "you're not yourself," and I was looking at marketing jobs instead of physical therapy jobs, I knew I needed a change.

So, riding on some built up courage that only comes from two weeks traveling with friends and soul-searching through jungle treks and on Caribbean beaches in Colombia, I finally took the plunge! I've been thinking seriously about moving home for about 6 months now, and now it's official - I'm Alaska bound to be closer to family and for job opportunities (but only after a few months of travel while in-between jobs!)

30-Tirement for me started out with Colombia and will continue with Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Thailand.  I am spending what little I've managed to save up the last few years, and I'm okay with it, in fact I couldn't be happier. It's pretty liberating to have the simplicity of your most crucial belongings in a 50L backpack! I backpacked a lot in my 20's, so it will be interesting to see how I fare as an "older" backpacker now.

I do feel a little selfish, but I also know that this trip will rejuvenate me from burn-out and in the end I hope that it will re-set my career goals and drive so I can ultimately take care of others better. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity.

What if we all took some time in our 30's (or any decade, really) to just enjoy life? And it doesn't necessarily have to be in the form of a globe circumventing trip. I encourage you- no matter whether you're the one with the mortgage and car payments and a clan of kids, or still single and 30 like me- to take a step back and re-evaluate your life. Are you feeling fulfilled in your career and elsewhere? Spontaneity and doing what you love obviously are a spectrum that looks different for everyone. But what if we got the word out, what if it became culturally acceptable to have a few months or a year off when you're halfway to retirement?

And if you want to join me - travel companions are encouraged, the more the merrier :)

Spread the word: #30Tirement