I think entering my later twenties feels a lot bigger than I thought it would. But in a lot of ways, I’m really happy with how things have turned out so far.

A lot of the time in my life, contrary to what it may have seemed like on the outside, I feel like I struggled a toonn. In love, friendships, and my career. My early twenties were a whirlwind of what the fuck lol not that I’d have it any other way, I’m just saying I could see why some people thought I was living my best life, freelancing in downtown LA for a fashion company when it didn’t always feel that way.

When it came to relationships, I had the worst luck for so many years. I dated around a bit, but I honestly felt like I was single foreverrr. I always had someone I was seeing here or there but nothing finite, and I kept dating the worst guys. Seriously like a bad guy magnet, and I got super fed up with it. I got cheated on previously and lied to so much that I really started to lose my faith in everything and I really put my guards up. I started not taking dating seriously at all and just used it as an opportunity to have new experiences, and kept it light and airy. Enter, of course, my current boyfriend Reggie lol.

It wasn’t until I met (or I should say, started dating) my now boyfriend that everything sort of came into focus for me. Once we started dating (yes, this is the hilarious filipino man who frequents my insta stories), I felt like everything I went through was for a purpose. All the experiences I had, good or bad, I wouldn’t have changed in any way because they led me to someone who I feel now is pretty perfect for me. And given my type A virgo personality, that’s pretty fucking rare haha. I’m really grateful for him and also happy to be 28, living with the man of my dreams in our dreamy apartment.

My friendships have definitelyyy struggled as well - but not so much more than anyone else growing up and entering into their adult life. I feel like it’s pretty natural to have some friends just fade away or for your friendships to sort of just fizzle out. It’s a little sad, but I’ve always believed in not forcing something that doesn’t feel natural anymore. I also stopped putting massive extra energy into friendships if I felt I wasn’t getting that back, or if I felt that there was a weird expectation of me. I think as you get older, you learn that you can only really split your time so much, and I’d rather have three really TIGHT best friends that I know I can call on no matter what, then a grip of close friends that I know I won’t be able to give them attention they deserve.

I also think I’ve become a bit more introverted as I’ve gotten older. I mean, in my mind, I’ve always been introverted, and then in college I switched to extrovert because I was serving and out allll the time. I always felt like being an introvert was a bad thing and I think I spent most of my twenties trying to come out of that shell, and I’m glad I did. But now that I’m 28 nearing 30, I’m so happy to just be at home with a good book, work on my blog, or just watch Netflix with my bf and dog now. And that sounds really boringgg… but I like boring.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still down to do activities and go out - whether that entails going out out and drinking a ton or just trying something new like a cooking class. I’m just moving at a more chill pace which is fine by me.

In any case, I think things have really come full circle when it comes to my career. There’s been a lot of ups and downs here too, but I think I’m in a pretty good place. I’ve come from freelancing in downtown Los Angeles for a fashion publication, to working in VIP celebrity dressing in WeHo part-time, to a tech agency in Santa Monica unlike any company I’ve ever worked for before (think Silicon Valley vibes), to a contemporary fashion label in downtown LA which I’m currently loving.

I get a lot of questions about what I do or how I got started, working in social media and marketing, and a lot of it honestly is hard work and perseverance. I’ve been working on this blog for years (although I didn’t really publish it live until a year ago), and I’ve put a lot of work and dedication into my instagram, which sounds kind of dumb in retrospect- but it now pretty much serves as my portfolio.

Obviously I learned a lot from being on the inside of the industry and working with influencers from the brand side, but I think the best thing you can do is work at whatever it is you want to do in your own personal life. I think having a blog helped a lot for me to land jobs and gave me that extra experience in knowing how to market to a specific audience. As much as you can incorporate learning on your own time in addition to your career, the more of an upper hand you’ll have. I worked hard through starting with freelancing, working with brand deals, and curating my own personal brand (I guess if you would call it that), to get to the place it is now. And I’m still v much in the baby phase of it all, in my mind, but it’s getting there. <3 I’ve honestly just always loved blogging and having an outlet to express myself.

I guess all I really have to say is 27 was a damn good year, and I’m stoked to get to 30. I feel like most people are scared of getting there, but I feel like 30 is really where it’s at, srsly.

But that note, things I’m definitely investing in starting now that I’m getting older:

A legit skincare regimen
My health & fitness (I just subscribed to Ritual, so I’ll let you guys know what I think after a couple months)
Home decor & furniture
Building my savings + getting my finances in order
High-quality staples in my closet

Can’t stress that last one enough. So into high-quality items > quantity now. Sort of with everything in life too - not just clothes if yanno what I mean.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my rant x

I don’t typically get too into my touchy feely side here but 28 felt like a good time to reflect.

all love,

s.

On Being 28