Truth be told, I didn’t really allow myself to enjoy the last year of my 20s. When people asked how old I was, I had to think about it for a second. After a brief pause, I’d say “29” with a sigh of relief going through my head. I still had a some time to date Leonardo DiCaprio, win an Oscar, start a billion dollar business, and pop out a kid…

*Cue the anxiety attack* None of that came to fruition.

As a 20something, I had this idea of where I’d be by now. The dreaded 3-0 number seemed like the death of youth (yeah I know, so dramatic) a few years back. The good news is that I keep hearing over and over how much better this decade is from those who’ve experienced it before me. I don’t know if that’s just something to say (i.e. complete bullshit) or if it’s true, but I’m hoping for the latter. I suppose it makes sense when you think about it. A friend who visited for my birthday said “how many times did you cry in your 20s?! 30s have got to be much better.” She was referring to all the heartache, uncertainty, and questionable decisions 20somethings make and that hopefully by the time you’re 30, you’ve settled into a career path, married the man of your dreams, made a house into a home and can actually whip up a pretty decent dinner for your little growing family.

HAHAhaaaa LOLOLOLOL lolz.

God help me if I can even microwave a bowl of canned soup without having to scrub down the microwave afterwards because a damn carrot blew up. That, and I’m never exactly sure what those laundry symbols mean so I always have to google them. What’s a mortgage? I don’t even send rent money to anyone.

Maybe this is what Jay Z meant when he said 30’s the new 20. Some maturation has occurred, but we’re still Forever Young. That’s deep, I know. I’m hardly a grown up, and I’m okay with that. There is plenty of time for all that jazz and society can’t tell me otherwise…although yeah, maybe my ovaries can. The conversations about freezing eggs have got to stop. I’m not there yet, and I fully realize there is a prime set of years for a woman to reproduce. Hey, guess what? My very single status and I have time 🙂

I’m more of a Beyonce than a Becky with the good hair.

Speaking of Jay Z, I celebrated 30 in his neighborhood. A few friends flew up for the weekend as we basked in the paradise that is Four Seasons New York.

FS NY

Centrally located in Midtown just two blocks from Central Park and Fifth Avenue, the famous Four Seasons New York has some prime real estate. Hitting another decade here was luxurious and extremely indulgent, both for my caloric intake and bank account. Walking into the lobby had me immediately looking up (thanks to the 33 ft. vaulted onyx ceilings) and gawking at I.M. Pei’s handiwork. Sitting pretty as one of the tallest hotels in the city, I thoroughly enjoyed the view from the party suite.

The Nomad

Wanting to spread our wings a bit, we booked a table at The Nomad for Saturday night. I wasn’t prepared for what was on the itinerary. As soon as we sat down, party hats and Lesley stir sticks (complete with my photo on top) materialized, but this was only the beginning. It was difficult to keep my attention on the actual NoMad meal itself (order the chicken dish, you won’t regret it) because little did we know, chicken from elsewhere was on the way. Knowing I’m a sucker for some Chick-fil-A, my friend Kayla who works on property threw in a feast of nuggets, fries and even boozy sweet tea. Pretty sure I died and went to heaven. I came back, though, to be whisked off the The Library bar complete with magic tricks and drinks behind a curtain, or dare I say, a speakeasy. I don’t remember going to bed that night, but the stir sticks I found in my purse the next morning had the good memories flooding back in abundance.

Final Thoughts

I recently read 30 Life Lessons from 30 Years and if you’re somewhere close to this age range, you should read it, too. I resonated with a lot of it, my favorites being #2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and basically the remainder of the article. I could dissect each and every point in a term paper fashion, but I’ll refrain since I’m almost at 1,000 words and you probably have weekend plans to fill 😉 I’ll leave you with some of my own additions: Say ‘yes’ more than ‘no’ in life. Be open to everyone around you – it has healing powers. Love equally. We’re all a bit lost – some people are just better at hiding it than others. Actually act on and execute your ideas. Begin with pure intentions. Be willing to fail. Evolve. Collaboration is powerful. You get what you give. Life is short, buy the plane ticket.

Feel free to leave your own knowledge bombs below!