today is my 28th birthday! here are 28 things i've learned about myself so far :)

a little self-reflection!

Oct 17, 2025

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today i am 28-years-old! and i feel weird about that! what the fuck!

the funny thing is that i know that in a decade from now i’m gonna look back on me saying “omg turning 28 is trippy!!!” and be like “lol you youngin have no idea what old even is!!!”

i remember when i turned 24…i had very similar feelings as i do today. at the time…entering my mid 20s felt so daunting. just the thought of getting older across the board just trips me out. and i know that with each year…it will be the same shit.

however...i will say that this birthday in particular is a pretty crazy one from an astrological standpoint: today is a friday (i was born on a friday) and it’s my first birthday while i’m in the middle of my saturn return. it’s a fucking double whammy.

when i reflect on the lessons i’ve learned this year…a lot of it has to do with just…accepting my own timeline and not comparing myself to those around me. the more i’ve leaned into following the beat of my own drum…the more content i’ve been.

also me starting this newsletter was not on my bingo card for this year…but i’m so happy this is something i decided to follow through with! honestly, when i started this was really just an outlet and i never thought i’d actually gain subscribers and have a following of people that actually give a shit about what i have to say! it’s so awesome!

now...i made a shortlist of things that i’ve learned this year. i’ve seen multiple people on substack do this before…and it inspired me to make a list of my own! so here’s my list!

nobody is thinking about you as much as you think they are
saying no to things more will improve your quality of life
living in a place that has many sunny days is a massive blessing
nostalgia is nice in doses
black coffee is really good
shoot your shot! the worst thing that can happen is getting a no!
being humbled by life should be something everyone experiences at one point because it really does make you not only resilient but more appreciative of any positivity that come your way after the fact
climbing cringe mountain will give you loads of confidence
piggybacking off of #8…in order to have the life you want…you can’t be afraid to publicly fail and/or embarrass yourself
going out in tokyo is so elite
romanticizing your life actually works
being too much of a homebody isn’t good for you
all jealousy does is give you insight on what you really want out of your life
maxi skirts make the world go round
having healthy outlets to release your anger does wonders for your mental health
the sooner you accept the pacing of your own life…the better you will feel
journaling is literally free therapy
sometimes all you need is a nice long walk
having a niche obsession will save you from loneliness
as long as you are alive…you have yet to peak
being selfish isn’t a bad thing
texting first doesn’t make you desperate
orange roses are my favorite kind of roses
solo traveling will not save you
piggybacking off of #24…with that said doing things solo is really great
you actually don’t need to “fix” yourself before you can be loved
estate sales are cool but also kinda freaky
it’s never too late to reinvent yourself