Hello everyone!

My 25th birthday. Possibly the best birthday party ever. Almost all of my favorite people were there.

This was what 26 looked like. Swimming with sea turtles, hiking in a bikini, and a sand birthday cake.

Today I am officially 27.

While I’m not currently sunning myself in Hawaii or Las Vegas, I’m celebrating nonetheless. As I’ve previously shared with many of you, 27 is my “scary age.” Yes, I’m aware this is illogical and absurd. 27 is not 30, or 40, but for whatever reason, I’ve anticipated this year since I was young. While 26 was perhaps more of a milestone (Hello health insurance!), 27 always seems to mark the beginning of one’s late-twenties. To me, it’s always signified going to bed a responsible hour, investing in an IRA, and attending copious amounts of baby showers. You know, that time when the universe yells at you to wrap up all the fun you’ve been having. Silly, I know.

One of the many distinct memories I have of this day last year is that right when the clock struck midnight I was startled awake by Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” blasting through the speakers of my girlfriend’s iPhone. On a side-note, I had had the song stuck in my head since arriving in Hawaii, and kept singing “Let’s go to the beach beach…” over and over again. It seemed appropriate, and had soon turned into the theme song of our trip. So, in the dead of night and half asleep, I was asked to recall the the one thing that it had taken me 26 years of my life to learn. That year, I learned what it meant to truly go on vacation.

So, to continue with the ritual, today I will share with all of you some of the things it’s taken me 27 years to learn…

Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. Not everyone has to like you. All that matters is that you like the person looking back at you in the mirror.

 You can not jump into a swimming pool wearing fake eyelashes. It’s not a good look. Just don’t do it.

Thrift stores are amazing. Who doesn’t love paying $20 for $400 boots?

Going to the gym, yoga, dance class…whatever you enjoy doing, is an investment in your mental health as much as your physical health. 

You don’t need a bottle opener to open a bottle. Keys, the side of a barbecue, and the corner of a coffee table are just as effective, if not more labor intensive.

The $20 handshake is a real thing. Depending on the occasion, it works marvelously.

Your iPhone charges faster while in airplane mode. A tip I picked up from a handsome stranger while on a layover in the Honolulu airport.

Money is fluid. It will always come back to you. Maybe not right away, but it’s there.

On the same note, you will never regret money spent on travel. You’re literally buying yourself memories and life experience, not to mention stories to tell the grandkids.

I can drive on the other side of the road. It’s scary, but I can do it!

Spending the day at the pool is an acceptable way to spend the day. The same goes for spending the day snuggled in bed.

It’s most definitely better to have quality people in your life that you can depend on, whether it’s in times of emergency, or just on those days when you really need a hug. Quality trumps quantity, any day. 

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Happy Birthday to me! Here’s to another good year.

EVA♥