The end of my 28th year is approaching, and I can feel it like the final pages of a diary—half wanting to savor, half ready to turn the page. It’s funny, because when you’re younger you imagine birthdays as milestones. At 18, you can’t wait to grow up. At 21, you toast to freedom (in my case, it was 19, because I’m Canadian—woo). By 25, you’re mapping out your future. But 28? It feels quieter. More like a collage of rituals, objects, and little obsessions that have shaped who you’ve become this year.
Somewhere between nostalgia and becoming who I actually am, I started making a list. Not a vision board list, not a manifestation list — just the things that make me feel alive, seen, or at least entertained.
I like having them all in one place. It’s like proof that my personality is real, even when life feels messy.
The List:
1. Hunting for rare vintage finds (the thrill never dies)
2. Styling my friends — and being brutally honest when it doesn’t work
3. Funky, eclectic interiors that feel like someone actually lives there
4. Jackie Schimmel’s House Tour- Tiger wallpaper (aspirational chaos)
5. Big headphones (do not disturb, thanks)
6. Buying planners & never using them… except lately — shocking growth
7. Hilary Duff’s new album era (nostalgia = serotonin)
8. TTPD on repeat
9. Sparkling water like it’s a personality trait
10. Mr. Noodles in a cup — couture with MSG
11. Voice notes with my people (modern love letters)
12. A monochromatic set (easy, chic, lethal)
13. Animal print — chic, always
14. Mixed textures & layering until it feels like armor
15. Ginger candy from Home Goods — elite snack behavior
16. Oversized bags (Mary Poppins but make it fashion)
17. Painting when I should be doing something else
18. Short hair that makes me sharper than I actually am
19. Copenhagen street style — smug and deservedly so
20. The Bitch Bible, The Skinny Confidential & Giggly Squad podcasts (my holy trinity)
21. Nostalgic Y2K touches that make me feel 13 again aka Hilary coming out with music again.
22. Taking photos of everything (half never posted)
23. Graanmarkt 13 candle & fragrance — quiet luxury in a jar
24. No overhead lighting, ever
25. My Kumquat tree — just discovered these
26. Vintage Real housewives — Specifically NY & OC
27. Le Labo scents worth gatekeeping
28. Sparkly, Fluffy, Feathery accessories that don’t ask for permission
Maybe turning 29 won’t be about blowing out candles or counting down milestones. Maybe it’s about carrying these little obsessions forward—like breadcrumbs from my 28-year-old self to remind me who I was in this season.
And maybe that’s the real secret: life isn’t about the ages we turn, but the things we love along the way.