Selena Gomez Reflects on the 'Good, Hard and Beautiful' Moments of Her 20s After Turning 30 (original) (raw)

Selena Gomez is looking back on the last decade of her life as she enters into a new one.

After turning the big 3-0 on July 22, the actress, singer and Rare Beauty founder reflected on her 20s in a candid Instagram post on Monday, admitting she finally "had a moment to catch up" now that her birthday celebrations have subsided.

"My twenties were a journey through good, hard and beautiful moments that I will never forget," the Only Murders in the Building star wrote, captioning two black-and-white portraits of her from her birthday party. "Each of them has shaped me into the person that I am today."

"I am someone who is still learning, but is more certain about what matters and what she wants," Gomez continued. "Someone who is grateful for every single gift and every single lesson along the way. I am walking forward encouraged by so many strong, empowering people around me. I want to try my best to take the beautiful and the painful one day at a time and let it all make me into the very best me that I can be for myself/others/you."

She went on to share that her "heart feels full" and "grateful" after "a few days of celebrating."

"I can say that I'm starting to really like 30," she said, before expressing gratitude towards her friends, followers and fans. "Thank you SO much for being a part of my life, here's to another decade! Love you all inside and out so much it hurts!"

Gomez rang in her 30th with friends including pal Taylor Swift by her side.

The "Love You Like a Love Song" singer shared pictures of her birthday celebrations with Swift on Instagram. In one shot, Swift, 32, held up three fingers as Gomez hugged her friend with a big smile. Another found the Country star giving a thumbs up to the camera as Gomez laughed while appearing to opening up a present from Swift.

"30, nerdy and worthy," Gomez wrote in the post's caption.

Selena Gomez/Instagram

On her Instagram Story, Gomez also thanked her fans for their birthday wishes.

"Thank you guys so much for all the bday love!!" she said.

She continued, "This year, my biggest wish is for donations to the Rare Impact Fund to support mental health. Together we can reduce the stigma [associated] with mental health and increase access to resources."

"Love you guys so much!" Gomez wrote.

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In January, the Emmy-nominated producer opened up to PEOPLE about her milestone birthday.

"I love growing up," Gomez said. "When I was younger, I was scared of it, and I thought by now my life would look so different. But now I'm like, 'Wow, this is not what I ever expected, and I couldn't be more thrilled.'"

She continued, "I've stopped caring about what people have to say, and that's been wonderful."

Gomez is currently starring as Mabel in the sophomore season of Only Murders in the Building alongside comedic legends Martin Short and Steve Martin. New episodes of the show stream Tuesdays on Hulu.