One day I woke up and I was 30.

How the hell did that happen?! And more importantly why did it have to happen to me? And so soon! I was only 21, like, a blink ago…well ok 9 years ago but still it seems like yesterday.

I’m now officially a real life *gulp* adult.

I’m not sure what the criteria is for being 30? Am I supposed to know how to change a fuse? Cook a Sunday roast? Wear pencil skirts and drink expensive wine? Is now the time to start using anti aging eye cream? I just don’t know. So naturally I’ve been having a think about this and it seems I’ve not got a lot going for me;

• I don’t have a house
• I don’t have a stable job
• I don’t have any money and the most expensive thing I own is some Vaseline Aloe Vera Intensive moisturiser (it’s pretty good by the way and keeps my 30 year old skin looking young).
• My wardrobe is becoming more and more limited. It’s basically a backpack full of nothing. My nightwear is now a man’s Hawaii shirt that came from god knows where (definitely stole it), my trainers have holes in them and my white clothes are stained yellow. My party attire consists of slightly less worn denim shorts and one earring (the other one could be anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere).
• I don’t have a husband or a long term boyfriend, or even a boyfriend for that matter and I definitely don’t have children.
• I don’t actually have any belongings unless you include my backpack which contains my limited wardrobe.
• My deodorant is also known as insect repellent.
• I still go out dancing, get really drunk and fall off tables. Sometimes I even bounce off windows. Apparently.

So really at a glance the above could be deemed a cringe worthy situation, especially for someone who has managed to creep out of their beloved twenties. I may be a bit behind other 30 year olds when it comes to all of the above. And a couple of years ago I might have been worried about this, been apprehensive about the direction of my ever aging life for which I couldn’t seem to create a clear path to the end goal that I don’t have.

But now I simply don’t care.

So far I’d say my life has been pretty action packed and definitely varied. I doubt anyone could accuse me of not living. Last year at the ripe old age of 29 I decided to go travelling with one of my best friends and I can honestly say it was one of the best years of my life. I mean, I experienced lots of new things like a £1.50 Indian hair cut, jumping off waterfalls, numerous fungal toenail infections, surfing, wonders of the world and most importantly I experienced the delights of Indonesian corn on the cob flavoured crisps (Gary Lineker really needs to get on this). And I wouldn’t change any of that for the world. Even if I am 30 and my precious youth is ticking away at lightning speed.

I have no idea when I will go home, if ever. Yes I am a 30 year old traveller that doesn’t really know what she wants out of life and I have come to terms with this. No I don’t have a house, money, career, husband or children but through a combination of chance and choice these presumed necessities aren’t part of my life right now. And that’s ok because I’m happy. And in my professional 30 year old opinion, I think, this is the key.

I have learnt that you don’t actually need that much to live, you could for example survive out of a single backpack with no clothes in it (just don’t go out for a posh meal because turning up in a sarong can be slightly embarrassing). I have learnt that just because I am now 30 it doesn’t mean I HAVE to do anything. During my time away many of my best friends were getting married and having babies, which is great. For them. That’s making them happy which in turn makes me happy, but at the moment I am on a completely different page and I’m ok with that because my adventure is different. It’s not better or worse, just different (except the Indian haircut and the lack of toenails, these are definitely worse). One day my adventure may be the same, it may not. There’s absolutely no point in me worrying about these things because whatever happens happens. I could suddenly decide my backpack is no longer making me happy, the stench of insect repellent is becoming a drag and I can no longer cope with just having one earring. At some point I may have to seek medical attention other than Google for my ever deteriorating toenails, who knows. And more importantly as long as I’m happy, who cares.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is although I’d rather be forever young this simply cannot happen and age is something I have to accept. I’ve decided that it’s ok that I don’t know where I am going or what my future holds because at the minute I’m still having a ball, so really my age is irrelevant.

I’ve decided I don’t care about all of the things I haven’t got because they’re not important to me at the moment. Currently I have everything I want (except toenails, I’d love to have some toenails) and money, we all want money (or at least enough to buy another earring).

So what is the criteria for being 30? I don’t know how to change a fuse or cook a Sunday roast. I don’t wear pencil skirts or drink expensive wine. And I don’t use anti aging eye cream. The criteria for being 30? To hell if I know.

Because what I’ve learnt now I’m 30? Contrary to my perfectly logical fears I did not wake up on my 30^th birthday to find my hair had turned grey and my boobs had suddenly decided to sag to my knees. I didn’t have an overwhelming urge to buy a pencil skirt and a child.

Please note that I have absolutely nothing against pencil skirts. I’m not even a pencil skirt hater. In fact I would totes wear one apart from the fact that they look ridiculous mainly due to my lack of height. Hobbits don’t look good in pencil skirts.

I also don’t agree with buying children.

I’m a 30 year old that is travelling the world, dancing on tables and living out of a backpack. I sometimes even (apparently) bounce off windows. I’m a 30 year old that is excited about seeing new places. I am a 30 year old that actually has no idea what she ‘should’ be doing because she is now 30 and nor does she care. I am a 30 year that is going to carry on doing the same things she was doing in her 20’s until these things no longer make her happy and when that day comes she will then decide which direction to take.

Because what I’ve learnt now I’m 30? Absolutely nothing. It makes no difference what you are doing, there are no rules. I am not you, you are not me (just in case you needed this clarifying) and if I can have as much fun in my next 30 years as I did in my last then I’ll be a very happy 60 year old. You never know I might even learn how to change a fuse and start using anti aging eye cream…