There’s something about milestone birthdays that makes you think about where you are in life and who you want to be surrounded by when you hit them. When Ethan’s parents suggested meeting in Savannah for the holidays, I knew immediately where I wanted to spend my 30th birthday: with my chosen family in North Augusta, South Carolina.
My high school best friend MJ, her sister Dani (who’s like a sister to me too), and their whole crew have been part of my life for so long that celebrating this birthday anywhere else didn’t even feel like an option. We arrived on December 28th and stayed through January 2nd, and those days became exactly what I needed as I turned 30 on the road.
The Setup: Parking in a Driveway Changes Everything
One of the underrated perks of van life is how easy it is to visit people. We pulled into Dani and Jon’s driveway in North Augusta (right near Augusta, Georgia), plugged in, and suddenly had a home base without being too invasive. It’s such a nice balance, you get the comfort of being close to the people you love, laundry and showers (which are absolute luxuries in van life), but you still have your own space to retreat to at the end of the day.
Rooster got to play with Luca, Dani’s toddler son, and watching him navigate playing with a little kid was honestly the cutest thing ever. He was so gentle and patient, just soaking up all the toddler energy.
Turning 30: Reflections, Carrot Cake, and Midnight Singing
My birthday falls right around New Year’s, which is actually my favorite holiday, so I’ve always loved the way the two celebrations blend together. This year felt extra special because I got to spend it with people who’ve known me since high school, people who’ve seen me grow into who I am now.
Life has had its hard times, but standing there at 30, I couldn’t be happier. I have the man of my dreams, the life of my dreams, the pets of my dreams (okay, I do want a farm eventually, maybe in my 40s or 50s, but we’ll get there). I just feel incredibly lucky.
Just before midnight, Dani, Jon, MJ, Zach, Mari (Dani and MJ’s mom), and Ethan surprised me with a carrot cake. You can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting, and carrot cake has always been my favorite. Like any Latino family, we sang happy birthday at midnight, though we’re all getting older and have jobs now, so we were barely hanging on by 11pm.
But we made it, and that moment, standing in their home with cake and candles and people who’ve known me for years, felt like the exact right way to turn 30.
Later that night, on my birthday, we celebrated my birthday with dinner at Latin Flavor, an amazing Puerto Rican restaurant in North Augusta. The food was incredible, and being surrounded by this crew made it perfect.
New Year’s Eve: Stranger Things and Staying Up Past Our Bedtime
New Year’s Eve with this group wasn’t about big parties or fancy celebrations. We stayed up (a genuine accomplishment at this point in our lives), watched Stranger Things, and spent way too much time debating whether El is actually still alive. The kind of debates that only happen when you’re comfortable enough with people to passionately argue about TV shows at midnight.
We rang in 2026 together, no big traditions, just good time as usual with people who make everything better.
The Days In Between: Food, Laughter, and Being Home
The days between Christmas and New Year’s have this suspended, timeless quality where nothing feels urgent and everything feels possible. We spent those days catching up, eating amazing food, and just being together.
Mari is an incredible cook, and we got treated to some serious Costa Rican home cooking. Olla de carne (a hearty beef stew), picadillo de papa, all the comfort food that reminds you of home. Jon fired up the grill and made us an amazing BBQ spread with chicken, pork, beef, all perfectly cooked.
We played a trivia card game one night and laughed until we couldn’t breathe. That’s the thing about this group, we all have a similar sense of humor, so everything just flows.
The Photoshoot: Thirty and Flirty
Dani runs DSV Photography, and she arranged a little photoshoot for me as a birthday gift. The theme? “Thirty and flirty,” a reference to the movie 13 Going on 30. It was fun and silly and exactly the kind of thing I needed to mark this milestone. Shoutout to Dani for capturing this moment so perfectly.
What Makes This Friendship Special
MJ and I have been best friends since high school. Dani, her sister, has become like a sister to me too. And even though van life means we don’t see each other nearly as often as we’d like, nothing changes when we’re together. We stay the same no matter what.
We’d seen Jon and Dani back in November 2024, and we got to catch up with MJ and Zach in Austin in March 2025 when they were still living north of the city. But there’s something different about all of us being together in one place, especially for something as significant as a 30th birthday.
Van life gives us the freedom to travel, but it also means we have to be more intentional about these moments. We can’t just grab dinner on a random Tuesday. When we do get together, it matters more.
Why It Mattered to Celebrate with Them
Spending my 30th with these people rather than just Ethan and me meant everything. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and our little van life crew of pets, but there’s something irreplaceable about chosen family, about people who’ve known you through different chapters and still show up.
These are the people who remember who I was in high school and celebrate who I’ve become. They’ve watched me navigate hard things and good things, and they’re still here, still making me laugh, still singing happy birthday at midnight even though we’re all exhausted.
Van Life Meets Home Comforts
Those few days in North Augusta reminded me of something important: van life isn’t about rejecting comfort or community. It’s about choosing when and where and how you experience those things.
We had laundry. We had showers. We had a driveway to park in and a house full of people who love us. And then, when it was time, we got back in the van and kept moving.
The best part? Both things can be true. We can love the freedom of the road and also deeply appreciate a home-cooked meal and a warm shower and a carrot cake at midnight.
The Transition: From Friends to Family
Leaving North Augusta on January 2nd was bittersweet. We could have stayed longer, could have stretched out those comfortable days indefinitely. But Ethan’s parents were waiting in Savannah, and we hadn’t seen them since summer 2025.
So we said our goodbyes, packed up the van, and headed south toward Savannah and Charleston. The shift from celebrating with friends to spending time with Ethan’s family felt natural, like moving from one chapter of the holiday season into the next.
We were excited to explore Savannah and Charleston, to see what those cities had to offer, and to spend time with Ethan’s parents after months on the road.
What Turning 30 on the Road Taught Me
Hitting a milestone birthday while living in a van could feel disorienting. No permanent address, no traditional markers of “success,” no dinner party at a house you own. But honestly? I can’t imagine it any other way.
At 30, I know what matters. It’s not the stuff or the status or the Instagram-perfect moments. It’s the people who show up. It’s the laughter over trivia games. It’s the carrot cake at midnight and the way nothing changes even when everything does.
It’s choosing this life intentionally, with the person we love, surrounded by pets who make every day better, visiting the people who’ve known us longest and love us best.
That’s what 30 looks like for me. And I couldn’t be more grateful.
What milestone birthdays have meant the most to you? How do you celebrate the big ones when you’re constantly on the move? Drop a comment and let’s talk about what makes these moments meaningful.
Wandering with Charlotte 
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