30 at 30
I turned 30 in May - and here are 30 things I know at this age
Ever since I was 27, I stopped thinking of myself as being 27, 28, or 29, but rather 3 years, 2 years, or a year away from being 30. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves about being 30 (the need to settle down, achieve something in your career, get married and have a family) that I was scared of that day when I would finally hit the mark.
However, my 30th birthday came and went rather anticlimactically. I was travelling in Japan, we just had a small dinner to celebrate and went on about our day; I didn’t treat it any extra special compared to any other birthdays (or any other days, really). However, now a few months have passed, I do want to mark this turning of age by listing a few things I know now that I’m 30.
Work is just part of your life and a job doesn’t define who you are.
If you haven’t worn something in a year, most likely you’re not going to wear it ever again. Sell it on Vinted.
Things are almost always better after a night of sleep.
A friendship where the other person never reaches out is maybe not a friendship worth keeping.
Stop obsessing over your weights. It goes up and down and that’s fine.
Hobbies are for fun and not something you need to be the best at.
Most of what you worried about do not come true.
You don’t need a lot of skincare products besides a face cleanser, serum and moisturizer.
You also don’t need more than 3 lipsticks.
Learning how to swim is one of the best things you can do in your 20s.
Don’t judge people too fast because sometimes the ones who you didn’t like at first become your favorite people.
You don’t need to accept the first offer you receive.
You still, out of nowhere, irrationally cheer for sports teams you know nothing about. It gives you a lot of heartaches but also a lot of happy moments.
Book that trip and eat that meal and buy that souvenir and don’t fret about spending the money that you can afford.
Take a lot of photos even for days when there seem to be nothing to take photos of.
All you can do and all you should do is do your best. The rest is not up to you.
Nobody thinks that much about you so stop obsessing over your cringe moments.
You are allowed to wear other colors besides black and white.
Learn to receive feedback and do not take it personally.
Friendships don’t happen if you don’t spend time together.
Moving abroad is the most heartbreaking yet the most life-changing and the best decision of your life.
One day you would wish you had spent more time in college learning languages rather than other subjects.
Never stop doing yoga because at 30 you would trade the world for your 20-year-old’s flexibility.
Take good care of your teeth.
Learning new things and getting better at them still give you a lot of joy, don’t stop doing that.
Start learning how to drive with automatic cars. You don’t have to impress anyone learning manual.
You don’t need to have an opinion on everything, especially things you don’t care about. But if you have an opinion and people want to hear, say it.
Things happen to you at their own paces, which are different from others, and there’s no point rushing them.
As the iconic Nora Ephron said: “Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was 26. Right this minute, put on a bikini, and don’t take it off until you’re 34.”
In your early 30s you still feel like you’re in your 20s, but with way more freedom and money to do what you want. Enjoy it!
Thank you for still reading even though there hasn’t been a new post for one and a half year :)