30 Things I’m Glad I Did Before I Turned 30

Why Am I Sharing 30 Things I’m Glad I Did?

So why am I sharing 30 things I’m glad I did before I turned 30? Well, it is because today I turned 30!!! I can’t believe I’m about to begin a new decade of my life. Honestly, it is exciting. As I get older, I always say to myself, I totally love this age. I’ve embraced getting older. Especially since I was diagnosed with cancer, birthdays are even more special. It has a whole new meaning when you get to reach a birthday. To me, it means I’m alive. I’m living my life!

It Is A Luxury

I’ve been hearing more and more people complain about getting older. To the point that they no longer look forward to their birthdays. Getting older is a luxury and a gift. There are people out there who do not have a choice and don’t have that luxury. Let’s embrace life and let’s embrace each day we age.

I decided to share 30 things I’m glad I did because I want this post to be positive. I’ve been seeing way too many “what I wish I did” kind of posts. How about we celebrate what we have accomplished? I want to celebrate the things I did in life. Yes, I will admit some of these are like ‘duh, Rach of course you should have done that.’ Obvious or not, if it is something we feel good about, it should be celebrated as a victory! So without further ado, here are 30 things I’m glad I did before I turned 30.

Before you begin, I want to let you know that the list is in no particular order.

30 Things I’m Glad I Did Before I Turned 30

1. Save. Maybe this is a ‘duh Rach, you should be saving.’ But I also have been hearing that a lot of millennials don’t save as much as they should. With things going on with my health and major life decisions I had to make, I honestly believe my life would be much more stressful if I didn’t have a decent amount of money saved already.
2. Budget. This is somewhat similar to saving my money, but early on (like right when I had my first high school job), I started budgeting my money. A lot of things in life I didn’t think I could afford. But being disciplined with my budget, a lot of those things came true.
3. Made sure my parents didn’t have to pay for my college tuition. Right before college, my dad unexpectedly got sick and my entire senior year of high school was dedicated to making sure my dad would live. Let’s just say medical bills quickly became the top priority, and unfortunately it lead to my parents not being able to pay for my college. So I reached out to FAFSA and University of Iowa. The thing with financial aid is that they look at the previous year’s income and not the current income. This obviously became problematic in my particular situation, given that my Dad’s health issues were so sudden. I had to make sure all my dad’s doctors were on board and they gave me everything I needed to prove / coordinate with FAFSA and University of Iowa regarding my situation. Fortunately, the U.S. Government gave me an education grant that covered my tuition based on my excellent grades and financial situation. Of course, I had to maintain my good grades!
   
4. Graduating college. I’m a first generation Filipino American and my parents came to the United States for a better life and a better life for their kids. My parents’ goal was for me to finish college. I’m proud to say I graduated from University of Iowa! My parents couldn’t be more proud. Who’s a Hawkeye Alumni?!
5. Getting Married. I am so blessed to have found my person, my best friend, and the love of my life. Getting married was the happiest day of my life. I am grateful to have a husband who always has my back no matter what. I honestly think the cancer experience would have been much more difficult if I didn’t have Tre.
6. Having My Dream Wedding. A lot of people have told me that no one really remembers what you do for your wedding as long as you have food and booze. But to be honest, seeing my dream wedding come to reality meant everything. It was the happiest day of my life marrying my best friend and having my dream wedding come to life was the icing on the cake! And it was so much fun seeing my family tear it up on the dance floor!
7. Travel. I love to travel and I plan to continue to travel. In my early 20’s, I didn’t have much so I traveled to places I realistically could afford. The world has so much to offer!
8. Ran the marathon. I was a big time runner. I always ran half-marathons and eventually I had the guts to run the Chicago marathon. So proud to say I finished in 3 hours and 50 mins.
   
9. Fitness. If I didn’t try working out or going to the gym, I would have never realized how much I love it. I just love how amazing I feel afterwards and I love that I’m taking care of my health as well.
10. Started a Blog. At first I was hesitant about it, but with my husband convincing me, this blog became a new found passion. I love connecting with you all and I love that it gave me a creative outlet.
11. Cutting Out the Negative People. Some people may think it is harsh of me to just cut some people out. But you guys, life is precious and there is no time for negativity. I’m okay with letting go of some people if all they do is add more stress in my life.
12. Keeping the Good People Close. At the same time, I am thankful I kept the ones who have been there for me close. It is an effortless relationship. They are the ones where we have each other’s back no matter what.
13. Family First. Always alway always. I’m always there for my family and I’m grateful they are always there for me. (including my dogs)
14. Support my husband. Not many know this, but at one point during my cancer treatment, I also became a caregiver. My husband was dealing with some heath issues of his own and I’m glad I did everything I could to make sure he got well again.
    
15. Attending the YSC Summit. Last year was the first time I attended, and for once since I was diagnosed, I realized I was not the only person going through it. Breast cancer was what set me apart from everyone else. But at the YSC Summit, it was what connected me to everyone.
16. Meeting Breasties. I created amazing friendships with other young women who were also diagnosed with breast cancer. It is such an incredible and special bond we have.
17. Walking on the New York Fashion Week runway. Who would have thought that would happen? The best part was that it was for a good cause. It was all about sharing to the world the realities of having breast cancer and raising money for cutting edge research for metastatic breast cancer.
18. Donate to Charity. There are so many things going on around the world and sometimes I wish there was something I could do. So I do what I can and some of these charities need donations in order to move forward. It feels good to do good.
19. Became an associate board of a nonprofit organization. I have a passion for helping and I want to use my personal cancer experience to help other cancer patients.
20. Living in the city. I knew ever since I was little that I would stay in the city and I’m glad I did. I know the city life is not for everyone, but it is definitely an experience worth having.
21. Living outside the city. I lived in Louisville during an internship for a few months and I also lived in Iowa City during college. I think it is a good experience to know what urban and non-urban life is like. It also made me realize that the non-urban life was not for me.
    
22. Having my own apartment. There’s something good about having that freedom when you get to live on your own. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy living with other people. But I love how I can make my own choices without consulting someone first. And it was so much fun to have a very girly apartment before living with Tre!
23. Owning a home. This is such a big girl move, but owning a place is such a big deal and the biggest investment ever!
24. Resigning from my job. This was one of the biggest decisions I had to make in the past year. But putting me first and thinking about my long term goals put things in perspective. I’m much happier now.
25. Understood the importance of self-care. I mentioned that this past year I discovered why my doctors were such advocates about self-care and now I understand. It makes such a big difference with your overall health physically and mentally.
26. Learned to find silver linings. I strongly believe silver linings exist in any situation, even in the most challenging days or during a tragic time. Good things in life don’t go away.
27. Enjoyed food. I know this sounds silly, but I really love food. I love trying so many different cuisines. My motto is don’t say you don’t like it unless you’ve tried it. I’m glad I ate whatever I wanted and how much I wanted. Going through cancer treatments, I now have to make some adjustments. But that’s okay because I know I ate to my fullest (get the pun, haha!).
28. Cancer Thriver. I love using the terminology thriver because I truly believe it is more than just surviving. Every day is a challenge, but every day I find my strength. As much as I wish I didn’t have cancer, there were so many blessings in life that came out of it.
29. Dressing for me and not for trends. Don’t get me wrong I love wearing trendy pieces but I also want to make sure I feel comfortable and confident in it. I’m aware that a trend will not work for everyone and that is completely okay. Everyone’s body and preference is different. I also love to wear what I feel good in it, regardless if it’s trendy. My motto is, what’s the point in wearing something if you can’t feel like yourself in it.
30. Saying ‘No’. Sometimes we just need to have time to take care of ourselves. There’s not enough time in a day to agree to everything and in the end we are only treating ourselves unfairly. If we can’t take care of ourselves, then are we really happy? I will admit I still struggle saying no, but I’m getting better at it.

That Was A Long One!

Whoa, totally didn’t realize this would be a really long post. I honestly thought that listing the 30 Things I did would be a quick list of things I am proud I accomplished. No idea I would write a bit more than just a list. I am so sorry for the novel post! What about you guys? What are some of the things you are proud of that you have done? Remember, it doesn’t have to be something elaborate. It can be something that has made your life better or overall made your life easier or happier!

Shop My Outfit:

If you didn’t already know, I always wear this birthday girl tee every year. The first time I wore it was a few years ago, and looking back, it looks like I had the same concept last year on how to wear it!

Outfit #1

Green Dress: Asos ($44.50) // Heels: Marc Fisher ($59.99, my all time favorite heels!) // Bag: Cult Gaia // Sunglasses: c/o Zenni Optical

Outfit #2

Birthday Tee: Ily Couture ($38) // Velvet Bow: 65thandMadison ($12) // Mom-Style Jeans: Asos ($56) // Shoes: Kelly & Kate ($39.99)

Alright, finally ending this post! Hope you all have a wonderful day! I’m off to celebrate the next decade of my life!

xo RD