Whit at 30
This isn’t a typical post for me, but it’s my blog so I get to make the rules. As I sit on the precipice of 30, I look both ahead and behind me and feel incredibly content with where I am now.
As most of us did, I grew up thinking a house, marriage, and children were the mile markers of a meaningful and successful life. I still want all those things, but I think one of the lessons you learn in your twenties is that there are so many other things that make life interesting. As I take stock of my life—the adventures I’ve had, places I’ve been, and people I’ve filled it with—I feel happy, I feel hopeful for what’s to come...I’m low key feelin’ myself at 30.
While there is very little I would go back and do differently (#NoRagrets), I did imagine 30 things I would tell a younger Whitley if I could:
You always know the answer, it’s called your gut...listen to it, trust it, and never talk yourself out of your own authority.
Wear sunscreen every day and especially at the beach. You’re never going to be a bronzed goddess so just accept it.
Always get the bigger storage option on your iPhone.
Don’t go if you don’t want to go.
Working out is not that bad, you might even grow to like it.
Be kind to your body as it grows, stretches, and changes. It will take you a while, but one day you’ll realize you’re beautiful inside and out. Never forget that.
Love big and love hard, and even when your heart breaks don’t be afraid to love again—your resilience and capacity to give is one of your greatest strengths.
Travel and travel often, any time you can and anywhere you can.
In the same vein, use up all your PTO days—you don’t get credit at the end of the year for having days leftover.
Set boundaries in everything you do. Boundaries don’t keep people out, they invite the right people in. You are in absolute control of the energy you allow into your life.
You don’t have to make everyone happy, and actually you will sometimes delight in making people unhappy.
Being tall is a superpower, embrace it.
One day you’re going to learn how to manage your hair, just be patient.
Similarly...babe, stop biting your nails!!!!
Know yourself, know your worth, and never settle for less than what you think you deserve—at work, in life, and in relationships.
Mom and Dad’s divorce is actually the best thing that could ever happen to you; you get double the love from two bonus parents and two healthy marriages to look up to.
Moving to Nashville after college will be great, but moving back to DC will also be great. Don’t be too hard on yourself about it.
I beg of you, study abroad in college!
Quality over quantity when it comes to friends; you’re going to have a small but mighty group of girls in your corner who are brilliant, funny, beautiful, and love you big time.
Step outside your comfort zone, this is where all the best stuff happens.
When in doubt, buy the comfortable couch not the one in an interesting color.
If he’s not acting interested, he’s actually just not interested. It’s that simple. And it’s okay.
Pay more attention to how you like yourself when you’re around someone, more so than how much you like them.
Always change the air filters in your home and save yourself some heartache and a month-long stay in a hotel.
Make your home a space you want to come home to; it’s okay (and fun?) to put down roots and invest in the place you spend the majority of your time (this will come in especially handy in 2020.)
You don’t have a green thumb and unfortunately that never changes.
Avocados are going to become huge, so try to move past the traumatic wasabi/avocado mix up incident and embrace them.
Nobody is perfect, not even you (shocking, I know). Sometimes people mess up, sometimes people hurt you, but sometimes they also deserve a second chance.
You will always be your own best advocate at work. Ask for the salary, ask for the raise.
Trust the timing of the universe. Not everything happens on schedule or according to plan, but that’s part of the adventure.
