Tomorrow is my 31st birthday. Hip hip hooray! I’ve been thinking over the last week or so what this birthday means to me, and what the last year has brought for my life.

When I was in my early 20’s I’d see magazine articles saying that your 30’s are the best years of your life and so on. I used to think ‘pffft they are just reassuring themselves that they aren’t too old yet’. But you know what? It’s true. Turning 30 was no big stress for me. I don’t really think that your age has all that much to do with what you can fill your life with. But it was the start of an amazing year. We had only recently made our ‘tree change’ to the country so this year has been filled with all the adventures around that. We have made a new home for ourselves, planted an orchard, started growing our own vegies, are caring for goats (who are hopefully pregnant, fingers crossed!), sheep, chickens, getting ready to have a beehive, generally being more self sufficient. Our eldest daughter has started at school and it is going splendidly. This year, and being 30, has been about focusing on the important things. I suppose what is important to me has changed.

I discovered Taryn Brumfitt and the Body Image Movement during the last year. If you haven’t heard of it, please do yourself a favour and look her up. I don’t know if it’s turning 30 or something else, but I have ditched my negative mindframe about my body. I have been running (say what?!!) and seeing a personal trainer. And it’s not to lose weight, my focus is to be strong. I want to be fit and healthy for as long as possible so that I can continue enjoying my life and being here for my children. The size of my body and what it weighs is nothing to do with anything. If I can run around with my children, and swing them into my arms, and be here for them – that is what matters. I participated in my first ever City to Casino fun run, I walked most of the way but did run for a few short sections and am happy with the time it took me. I am sorting out my minor health issues. I have the most debilitating periods that leave me with low iron levels and wipe me out for at least 2 days a month and I have always just dealt with them, but I have realised that actually I don’t have to. I am looking forward to getting those under control!

My business has continued its journey to focus on mostly women’s beauty portraits. I love, love, love helping women see how beautiful they are. I am starting to spend more time on creative portraits as well – I think that working on personal projects helps me to find inspiration in all kinds of places which I can then use in my other work.

I’m pretty excited to see where the next year of being in my 30’s brings! But for now, I have some editing work calling my name 🙂

Rach x