Today is the first day of my 30th year. I get to start my age with a 3 now! Someone said that life really begins at 30, and I’m really feeling it. You guys…my heart is so full with gratitude.

Today I got to see some waterfalls and then visited the plane crash site near Vík. I’m still a bit injured, so I had to skip my long birthday run. Honestly though, I think today has been one of the best birthdays yet.

Growing older isn’t as bad as everyone says it is. Folks will dread it, and I just never really understood it deep down. I see where people are coming from–there’s the fear of losing the beauty that comes with youth, but I’ve always thought that to be a bit superficial. It just seems so arbitrary. I’ve always thought that real beauty comes from within. There’s so much clarity and experience that comes with age. Sure, my skin is a little drier and I’m starting to get creases around my eyes, but I have to say that I wouldn’t trade my newly found wisdom for a younger appearance. And that’s what’s so amazing about getting older: less shit bothers you as your self-confidence grows with experience in life. It’s stating the obvious here, yes. I wonder how many people actually take a step back and appreciate their own growth.

And it doesn’t stop there. There’s always plenty of room to grow. I can’t imagining ever stopping the process. One of the most important things I’ve realized is how much I don’t know about the world, and I wonder how much more my own knowledge and experience will grow by the time I hit 40. I can’t see that far. Kind of like how I couldn’t see where I’d end up in ten years when I was 20. Holy shit, I never would have seen that rollercoaster coming. But at least I came out the other side of that storm.

Happy Birthday to me.

• Life