My Thoughts On Turning 35

Posted on November 15 2019

For some reason, this birthday feels significant to me. Maybe it’s because it marks my mid-thirties (YIKES), or maybe it’s because of where I am in my life. Whatever the reason, I just felt it was important for me to take a quiet moment to reflect on the past, the present, and the future, as well as how I’m feeling and what I’ve learnt along the way!

My Thoughts On Turning 35 | berrysweetlife.com

I wanted to put pen to paper (so to speak) and share my ponderings on the off-chance that some of you (even just one person) can identify with these ups and downs of life, and know that we’re all in this together, and if you find yourself at a low point, know that good things are coming, the biggest battle is to allow yourself to believe that you deserve all that you desire!

Here we go, My Thoughts On Turning 35:

What I Miss

After four years of living in South Africa, I’ve found a few things creeping in that I miss about Zimbabwe, my home country:

Early morning is different in Zim, it’s impossible to put into words but everything moves at a slower pace, it’s quiet, still, there’s almost an unspoken reverence for that time of day. (Unless you have small children of course), but even when I was little I was aware of this feeling
I miss holidays at Kariba and the Zambezi – I realise now how totally wild and untouched it is, wildlife roams freely, giraffe and elephant are abundant on the shores in the evenings, and the guided game drives are amazing

Sunsets light up the sky in shades of orange, yellow, pink and fiery red like nothing I have ever seen anywhere else
My family and old friends (obviously), but more on that later!

What I Know Now

Just because it’s not perfect, doesn’t mean it’s not good, maybe even great. This goes for everything in life
Most people just want to get along. We all approach it from different directions, with unique upbringings, thought processes, dreams and past-hurts. A little grace and a willingness to understand another person’s truth goes a long way
Embracing “less is more” in all things is truly refreshing

As is a new hair colour or style! I am loving the change of going from brunette to blonde
Feeling good needs to be a commitment and a priority. Proactively doing the things I know make me happy more often! Just thinking about it lifts my spirits. When we realise feeling good must come first, everything else follows: Creativity flows, kindness and compassion become our default, and we naturally seek out the good in everything

It’s worth it to take care of your body. I recently did an 8 week intensive cleanse. It was a huge commitment as 8 weeks is not a short time. But it has turned out to be such an act of self-care. I feel healthy and energised, have absolutely zero cravings, and I am truly enjoying my super-clean diet, even now that the cleanse is over. It just goes to show that our bodies really do function best when we fuel them with natural, organic whole foods, and take away the foods that our bodies don’t need

If your grandma wouldn’t recognise it, don’t eat it!

I’ve remembered recently how much I love to read, I’m not sure how I got out of the habit? With a good book in my hands I can spend hours lost in a story. It’s a healing and rejuvenating thing, to let the mind wander away from your world for a while
I love low-key birthdays, I’m not a fan of being the centre of attention, so what makes me happiest is to be able to have a quiet and peaceful day with those I love most

What’s Still To Come

Only 5 weeks until we hop on a plane to Sri Lanka!!!! We are starting to get extremely excited. Staying for 4 weeks in one place, and taking day trips here and there as we feel like it. We are most looking forward to the food (me!), the surfing (Mike), and a whole lot of relaxation time! If anyone has favourite book recommendations for vacation, throw a comment below, coz I’m in the market for a whole stack!

Our 2nd Christmas together plus Mike’s 37th birthday, both of which will take place while we’re in Sri Lanka. We spent last Christmas just the two of us, as we will again this year. Maybe next year we’ll break that tradition, who knows?! But for now, we’ll be sitting on a sandy white beach eating curry for Christmas lunch 🙂

Home Build! We’re currently designing a house! Mike is a builder and I’m an interior designer – needless to say we are in our element designing a house together and we plan to share the whole process on the blog! From breaking ground to the finished product. We hope you’ll follow along here on the blog and on Instagram or Facebook where I’ll be sharing all the snippets in my stories
Another build means another China trip to get our fixtures and fittings! This time we might add in a few more touristy days if we have the time to extend the trip a bit. We would absolutely love to see the more beautiful destinations in China. Stay tuned for that!

My Heart

Sadly, my parents moved back to Zim at the beginning of this year. I thought I would handle it better, but it was hard. I miss knowing my mom is close by. I miss knowing my family and life-long friends are close by! But 3 months in, it started to get easier. Over the course of the year I have adjusted, as we humans are so good at doing, it just takes time. Now I look forward to their visits, and our weekly phone calls
When my folks left, we had to make the really tough decision to find my fur baby (Louie) a new home. We knew we would be moving into a small apartment and he’s such an energetic boy. I find comfort in trusting that he is so loved and happy in his new family, with another spaniel who looks so much like him they could be brother and sister!

And finally, I saved the best for last…

Mikey, my honey. In the time we’ve been together we’ve already travelled locally and to far-flung places, we’ve made a home together, sold that home, and moved to our new little haven by the sea

We’ve seen each other at our best, and our worst. You’ve seen a lot of tears from me along the way (I get tearful when I’m sad, overwhelmed, tired, sick, relieved, that’s just me!) But through it all we only seem to grow closer, more in-tune with each other, and more able to be our complete selves
You have been a gift beyond my wildest imagination. You accept me for who I am – every unconventional part of me. And I am so glad the Universe decided our paths should cross. You treat me with such respect, unwavering love, loyalty, support, and kindness. I’m so grateful for you, and all that you do for me, and for us

And that’s it, those are My Thoughts On Turning 35!

Many lessons learnt over the course of 35 years (so many more than can be put into one post!), and so much still to learn, experience and enjoy!

What have you learnt over the past year, or years, that you think might be helpful to others? Share your thoughts below, if they resonate with just one person, it’s so worth it!