I’ve been 30 for just about a year now and although there have been some big changes previously in my life, the ones that have happened during the past year seem to be the greatest of these. At certain milestones in life, be it a birthday or new years, etc, we tend to take stock of our lives, where we are and where we want to be, and I found myself doing this once again, though it was over the course of a few months. In the past I’ve had a goal or two that I wanted to accomplish, but nothing overly huge or life changing. At least not until this last time.

Moving to a new city and province for work was perhaps the start of this, but that took place a couple years ago already. Being a fresh 30 last summer, not much really changed in my day-to-day life, at least not until September rolled around. I had a vacation planned and set off to BC to visit friends and family. Turns out a few unexpected things happened, all good, and culminated on the last day when I was heading back to Calgary. The weather was beautiful and I decided to stop in Banff to end my vacation time. Just before leaving I had a chance encounter with someone I used to know (more on this in the future). We’ve since become friends, and as I’ve gotten to know her better, I’m starting to see just how much an individual can affect others. That, for me, is when the real changes start.

Before I go much further, perhaps a little background info. I’ve always been on the more introverted side of things, mostly quiet around others, especially in a group setting, and never going out much, being the most comfortable as a homebody. I do go out jogging (yes, I actually enjoy running) and for basic needs but almost never for socializing. This being the case, I’ve never had an overabundance of friends. Sure, I was “friends” with coworkers and people I went to school with, but usually there were only a couple people that I would actually go out and do stuff with. I’ve always had the desire to help others, in some form, but it’s hard to help people when I’m sitting at home, for obvious reasons.

Enter my new friend, who shall remain nameless for the time being. Over the months and coffees, I’ve started seeing what kind of person she is. Kind, generous, adventurous, world traveler, unafraid of trying new things and an all around awesome individual. As such things go when encountering this rare type of human, I started doing more myself. The tail end of last year was still a bit slow, though I still went out to the Canmore block party and to see ice sculptures at Lake Louise, but having a warm spring, I began being much more active.

Now when I go out, I look for opportunities to talk to people. That nervousness I always had before has almost disappeared, almost. But now I don’t see it as a hindrance. I see it as something to overcome and means I’m still growing as a person, which is always good and really should never end. Helping others means getting involved, something I was reluctant to do before, but these days is becoming much easier. I’m feeling much more well rounded as a person, something that does come with age, yes, but mostly because I’m starting to push myself. If we want to grow, the best way to do it is to be a bit uncomfortable in life. If all we ever do is the same old thing, our bodies and minds will begin to stagnate, and that is good for no one.

So at 30 it seems the biggest change for me has been inward, which in turn has started to come outward. I hear a lot of people say they feel old at 30, but for me, well, I’m just getting started. Exciting things are in the works and I’m looking forward to sharing them, so stick around. You might just get inspired yourself!