I will be turning 30 this week and boy am I reminded of it every day. From the urge to tell people to turn the volume down to the occasional crackle of my knees during my pilates classes. I am reminded that I will be leaving an entire decade behind. 

Even though I’m excited to see what the future will shape out to look like, I feel as though I owe it to myself to do some reflection and share some lessons that I learned along the way. 

• Your friend group will change – people who got you through a certain phase of your life might not necessarily make it to the next phase of your life and learning to make your peace with that will be pivotal. 

• Your perception on an exciting Friday night will most likely change – you will realise the rapid rate at which you recover from a hangover is no longer the same as it was in your early 20s. At some point, you might trade aggressive nights at the club for a games night with friends or a farmers market on a Sunday morning.

• Accepting that your parents were never perfect will give you peace of mind like never before – realising that they were just doing the best they could with the resources they had, will help you heal some of the trauma that first-born kids often experience growing up in immigrant households.

• Forgiveness is more for you than for them. 

• Your health matters – which means throwing back Red Bulls at 8 am is no longer an option. 

• Gratitude and spirituality (depending on your beliefs), will open up new doors, because if incorporated correctly can bring about a sense of peace. 

• Protecting your peace – eradicating people and beliefs that no longer serve you is okay. And in some instances. Necessary.  

• Embracing the natural changes your body will inevitably go through is pivotal – your hips may get wider and your belly may get slightly bigger. But remember that they carry experiences from your travels across Europe and memories from the nights spent in Mexico eating tacos. 

• Give yourself some grace – we are all just figuring it out. No one has their shit together. No job was a mistake and no relationship was a waste. They were lessons learned and in some lucky instances. Some of the most memorable experiences of your 20s.