First Posted: 8/18/2014

This week brings me to a life milestone. As of Sunday, I can officially say goodbye to my 20’s as I open a new chapter in my life as a 30 year old woman. Maybe I have been reading too many Buzzfeed lists lately, but I have decided this week to compile a list of my own. So here they are, the top 10 things my 20’s have taught me.

1. Your heart is only as resilient as you allow it to be. It will be broken, betrayed, full of love and empty from loss but if you sincerely believe that it will bounce back and give it the strength to reopen, it will in time.

2. It’s ok to be wrong. You don’t have all the answers and sometimes your parents do, listen to them. You have no idea until you become their friend how much their life may have mirrored yours and they know what they are talking about. Thanks Mom and Dad.

3. You are the only one who can limit your career potential. People are going to tell you “no” more than they tell you “yes”, it’s up to you not to quit. In my life, I have been called names, lost friends and lovers and had many burned bridges because I refused to stop chasing my career dreams. I couldn’t be happier with then end result.

4. Be careful with credit cards; keep an editing eye open when making purchases. Think to yourself, ‘will I need this in the next 3 days?’ If the answer is ‘no,’ then don’t go paying interest on it.

5. Be the girl who dances. My greatest memories are full of random dancing, kisses in the rain, laughing with my friends and stealing the spot light. This is the stuff that makes life sweet.

6. Everyone comes in to your life for a reason. You will go through so many friendships, some are lasting, some are fleeting but eventually you will learn to see people for who they are and for what purpose they are supposed to serve in your life.

7. Netflix is your friend. Some days, you just need to sit on the couch and binge-watch a show while the world happens outside. Even superman needs to take the occasional day to be Clark Kent and you should never apologize for taking a night to shut off the world.

8. Take silly pictures. If you think you look stupid in them, look at them again in 3 years and admire how much fun you were having in that moment and realize that you looked super awesome.

9. Try new things, meet new people and go new places as often as you can. The world is such a fascinating place, explore it and embrace it.

10. Stay in touch with your older family members. You are finally old enough to hear their stories and understand their struggles. They aren’t going to be around forever. Get a recipe off your great aunt, ask your grandmother to teach you how to crochet, ask your grandfather about his experience in the war, you are their legacy. Someday, you will wish you sat with them going through photo albums and hearing them tell you about how life once was. Learning all about your own lineage may help you discover who you really are.

W