Why Kelsea Ballerini is ready to ‘turn a new page' in her 30s

Originally appeared on E! Online

Kelsea Ballerini is marching to the beat of her own drum more than ever before.

Ahead of turning 30 on Sept. 12, the country singer shared insight into why she's eager to step into this next era.

"I feel really content that I have lived every ounce of my 20s," Ballerini exclusively told E! News while promoting her partnership with The Original Donut Shop. "I have no regrets and feel like I left no stone unturned."

The "If You Go Down" singer, who split from Morgan Evans after five years of marriage in August 2022, continued, "I feel lucky to have so many experiences under my belt and I feel ready to turn a new page."

Even before her milestone birthday, she's already noticed changes in herself this past year.

"I felt this internal shift a little bit in the last year," she continued, "so if I can just keep down that road, I feel like that's a win."

Kelsea Ballerini's Social Media Confessions

It also helps that Ballerini has been given sage advice about entering this next chapter.

"Every woman that I've talked to has said that the 30s are the best years," she shared, "where you really come into yourself, and you really learn how to stand your ground and love yourself differently and more fully—I really look forward to that."

While the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards nominee is excited about her future, she's also very much living in the present.

"I'm honestly in a chunk of life right now where I'm not touring, so I'm home more," the "Little Things" artist noted, "and I'm kind of in my cozy era."

If anything, Ballerini is using this break to spend time with loved ones, including boyfriend Chase Stokes. As she put it, "I'm with my friends, my dog, my boyfriend or my mom, and I'm chilling. It's nice."

But that doesn't mean she hasn't dealt with off days. Though, as she pointed out, it's all part of her growth.

"Not every day is going to be the best day," she explained. "And allowing that to exist is really important, and I think having grace for yourself. Then, finding the things that make you feel good on days that you don't."

One of the things that helps Ballerini put a pep in her step is coffee. In fact, her love for a cup of joe is one of the reasons she's The Original Donut Shop's first-ever celebrity ambassador.

"Everyone in my life knows that I'm not a morning girl," she cheekily shared. "I wake up and make a cup of coffee, and depending on the day and the mood that I'm in, I'll either do a normal Donut Shop Original with a little oat milk or I'll spice it up and do the Twix flavor."

She continued, "There is a lot of movement in my life—I'm either on a bus or a plane or a different city most days—and it's the thing that I can do no matter where I am that starts my day the same every day."

In the words of her hit track, it's the little things that make all the difference.