27 things.

Hi friends! SO glad you could make it!

I know the rule clearly states that this entire blog is dedicated to silly goosin’. However, in the special event of my b-day  I am going to flip-flop for once and post something serious goosin’👩🏻‍💻 🪿

WOW guys! Can you believe it?! A whole year of life & a whole year of lessons has gone by!

I compiled a list (below) of my favorite 27 lessons I have learned during my 27th year! This idea was inspired by my favorite *not*song of the year, Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen, which I found a few weeks after turning 27 in January of 2023. I listened to this *not*song dozens & dozens of times this year, and it helped me think about all the things that I know now that I wish I could tell my younger self. I’d also like to quickly shout out my therapist, Rita!!!!! You a real one girl. 🥲

Therefore, this year — I dedicate my 28th birthday to myself!!!!!!!!! 🤘🏻😋🪿🤘🏻

tldr : A manifesto of 27 (she cried a lot, like…a lot, a lot).

Twenty-seven lessons from my year of 27:

With every passing year, my crow's feet get worse and worse. But it gets better and better because the worse they get, the more they remind me of my dad & when I look in the mirror, I think of him.
Try everything you want and nothing you don’t. Trust yourself to know which is which.
Anxiety is like a roller coaster. Sometimes there’s a nice view, sometimes it’s exciting, but sometimes also terrifying and makes you wanna scream.
Laugh more than you think you need to. Every single day is funny, you just have to keep your eyes open long enough to catch it in the most mundane of things.
I’m grosser than I thought. I HATE doing dishes, and living alone for the first time and for the entirety of my 27th year has made me realize just how long I’ll leave my dishes before it becomes an issue. I am a hypocrite. Sorry mom! LOL
Picture frames are so expensive! Who decided to make a few nailed pieces of wood that expensive?!?!? Like c’mon!!!
Book flights before you know what you are going to do there. You can figure out all the basics and more once you land. Ask locals, they want to tell you their favorite places.
Music just feels different all alone and cranked up loud. I’ve come to an enormous gratitude for background instruments and beats, and they just feel so much crisper all alone (extra points for noise-canceling headphones).
Wink at yourself in every mirror. You are the most constant person in your own life. You exist with you 24/7-365, flirt with yourself just enough to make yourself feel desired but not so much that your reflection consumes your life.
The more vulnerable you are with the people you care about in life, the better your life will be. People who want to be there will be, and you can take them at their word and vice versa!
Long walks are the BEST walks. I have had some of the best walks of my life so far this year, exploring new cities or just walking around my neighborhood looking at whatever is around. Watching all of the people milling about or rushing to get somewhere. I just enjoy walking alone and letting my mind wander.
I am at an age where I am scared for my health. I have never thought so much in my life before about how absolutely awful it would be to break a bone and how much it would halt my life to a stop. My risk-taking is in the red.
I think 13 might actually be a pretty great number. It’s doing the same damn job as all the rest, but it gets such a bad rep. because of modern religion. This year, I have come to appreciate the number 13. It’s kind of a fun number like it’s just the little angsty-emo kid of the numbers.
Loud music is nice, but live music trumps all. There’s something so superior about listening to sound when it’s live. It just scratches your brain on a whole new level. And live music, when you can just close your eyes, is by far the most superior.
When you’re going through a difficult time, remember the kindness of others, and remember to be that kindness to others.
Tell the people around you that you care about them. Tell them so much that it’s never a surprise, just something that feels nice. Make time for the right people, and they will make time for you.
It’s okay to feel bad emotions and be sad. Sadness is just as valid as happiness, or hope, or fear. Sometimes, it’s nice to sit outside on the deck and watch the thunderstorm. It’s so loud and looming, but you know it will eventually subside, so you allow yourself to step back and take it in.
Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 Keira Knightley & Matthew Macfadyen one) was my comfort movie of 27. Why is it so beautiful and full of the littlest bit of romance, churning out the most amount of sexual tension!!!!!!!! OMG.
Childhood friends feel warm & cozy, but making friends as an adult is so so rewarding because now you know what qualities to look for in a good friend.
Don’t be afraid to try new foods. This year, I tried tuna tartar, ceviche, branzani, savory oatmeal, escargot, and so so many more. I was shocked at how good some of it was(For real)!
Appreciate your surroundings. One of my favorite parts of the Midwest was how long and drawn out the sunsets were, they felt like they lasted forever and made everything silhouetted. I’d never really experienced that before because all the sunsets I’d experienced prior eventually fell behind mountains (or buildings or waves), and it only occurred to me then that all my sunsets I’d ever seen were cut short by landscape.
Hold yourself accountable, but give yourself the same grace that you would give a good friend. Only you know when you’re trying your best.
Coffee expenses can add up, but the motivation to get up early, take a stroll in the park, and reward yourself with a vanilla latte is worth far more than $6.
Life is short, and people in your life don’t stay forever. Some walk away on their own accord, and others pass on taking their leave from this earth. It’s okay to feel sad, and it’s even more comforting to allow yourself to wallow in it and let sadness wash over you.
There is so much opportunity out there, but it’s up to you to seek it out, chase after it, and work at it everyday, even if that means only keeping it in the rotation of your daily thoughts.
I’m tired of rushing. When I rush I never fully get to take in my everyday surroundings. And I miss them. Took the whole f’ing year to realize this one. Yikes 😬
Cry a lot. Life changes in ways we never expect. You are the most constant person in your own life, take care of her and love her. You deserve your own grace and kindness too. That includes letting yourself have a nasty wet snooty cry.