Day 8: 31 Things That Happened/I Learned While Being 31.

Things that happened:

1. I went out to eat for my 31st birthday.
2. I traveled to Atlantic City four times this year.
3. I had my first VIP experience with the band I discovered on Spotify, First to Eleven.
4. I got really into baseball for the 2025 season.
5. I went to CitiField for the first time ever to see a Mets game.
6. I celebrated my grandmother’s 80th birthday in July.
7. I spent my summer outside. Like, oooooutside for the first time.
8. I was diagnosed with OCD & trichotillomania this year.
9. I won “Best Costume” at our Western Halloween party.
10. I went out with my coworkers for dinner for the first time!
11. I got two impulsive piercings: one helix and one conch.
12. We had our 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Potluck at the office.
13. I went to see the Jonas Brothers in concert for the second time.
14. We had our iconic Registrar Holiday Party!
15. I rang in the New Year doing what I wanted to do.

Things I learned:

1. Celebrate your day the way you want to, not the way you think you should.
2. Traditions have always been a big thing for me, and creating them that are uniquely mine feels good.
3. Go for that experience; you might regret it later.
4. I am allowed to change, whether it be a noticeable one, or a minor one like having a new interest.
5. I am healing my little self by doing things she wished she could’ve done.
6. Despite distance, love is what keeps families together and connected.
7. I might actually like the summer season!
8. Being honest with yourself about yourself is sometimes the best answer you’ll get.
9. Never afraid to completely be yourself in settings where you think you need to stay in box.
10. Try new things and make new experiences.
11. Progress is never linear, and you can’t always shoot away what your brain is telling you.
12. Always remember to do things for the experience of doing them, even if you’ve done it before.
13. There’s never a right time to start doing something you genuinely want to do for yourself, you just sorta have to do it on your own terms.
14. It’s okay to not have it all together; there’s never going to be a time that you feel absolutely prepared for things.
15. The things that you want out of adulthood are not impossible to get, you just have to be willing to change your mindset in order to get them.
16. Give yourself credit for the growth you’ve done, and believe that you are capable of greatness.