Starting over (again) at 30

Today is another first day. But it feels different this time...

Hey, I’m Claude (she/her). I live in north London, descending from a town called Kingswinford in the mighty West Midlands. I’m witchy, slutty, and a recovering people pleaser. And I think I survived my Saturn return, lol.

I left my part-time job yesterday. Usually, I’d be full of beans about the prospect of a (yet another) new career ahead of me. But this time feels different. My energy is more settled. And, strangely enough, I don’t really know what’ll happen next.

My life was transformed over the last two years. I left a meaningful office job (rare, I know!) in search of pastures new. And pastures were exactly what I got. I switched from full-time work to something part-time, gladly taking a pay cut along the way. The doors of a local community garden centre opened before me, and, before I knew it, I was managing its sweet little plant shop.

The life I’d daydreamed about had manifested: I was working without a desk, immersed in nature, getting my hands dirty, and interacting with other humans face-to-face. When I got to work, I was greeted by robins swooping between and singing from treetops. I saw the morning light paint a tropical palm house gold. I learned from people devoted to stewarding, nurturing and protecting the land and its plants. I was welcomed into a community that showed me what it meant to be held. And my understanding of the world changed, for good.

But, in recent times, something familiar began to stir in me. A creeping feeling that I’d outgrown my environment, as lovely as it was. My gut was lighting a fire as if to say “it’s time to move on”. And, so, I honoured that fire – even though the warmth and comfort of the glasshouses and my new family tempted me to stay. Just like romantic breakups, it’s always harder when there’s still so much love involved.

So now I find myself here: 30, self-employed, and unsure what to do next. Well, there are a couple of anchors I’m bobbing above. One is travel, potentially to Mexico, in the New Year. And the other is writing. A slow return to the craft I’ve favoured and found comfort in for years. A way for me to share with others how I view the world, the lessons I’ve learnt and am still a student of, and just…because. Because why not? Because life is better when you’re sharing. And creating can lead to connection, and we need more of that than ever before.

So, please, join me on this journey! I promise to be as open and honest as I can. And I promise to cherish every little interaction these posts may get.

Tell me, what happened to you when you turned 30? I’d love to know. And maybe we’ll learn something about each other as we all take our first spin at life.

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