I turned 30 last week, and honestly, it feels great! Saying I’m 30 feels pretty surreal, but I don’t feel any dread or anxiety, which I honestly thought I would. I’ve put together a couple of posts to celebrate making it through this most tempestuous of decades, and this is the first, 30 life lessons I’ve learned in my first 30 years! Enjoy!

1. Life isn’t a climb, it’s a hike. It’s not about getting to the top, it’s about making your way along, at your own pace, seeing what’s there, being curious and enjoying the journey.

2. You’re way more competent than you think you are.

3. Your hair will NEVER do what you want, so you may as well let it do whatever it’s gonna do and enjoy yourself.

4. You are stronger – both mentally and physically – than you give yourself credit for. Like, A LOT stronger.

5. Don’t get into fights on Twitter.

6. You don’t have to finish every book you start – dump the ones that do nothing for you.

7. Showering before bed makes your sheets last longer between washes.

8. Some people don’t like you, and that’s fine (fuck ’em).

9. You also don’t have to like every single person you ever come into contact with.

10. When you start to notice signs of early depression, pay attention.

11. Embracing the seasons, surrounding yourself with nature and generally being more connected to the world is essential for your wellbeing. It’s not a cure or a treatment for anything, it’s a basic need.

12. Shaping your life around other people’s judgemental attitudes will not make you happy.

13. Be as feminine as you want, it doesn’t make you less intelligent, feminist, or queer.

14. There is such a thing as love at first sight ❤

15. Sort out disagreements openly and honestly – no games, no repressed feelings, no sulking.

16. Hiking up a mountain is one of the best feelings in the fucking world.

17. Grief is the most painful thing in the world, there is no cure and no escape, but it won’t kill you.

18. Puy lentils are the best replacement for beef mince and are perfect in shepherd’s pie, bolognese and tacos.

19. Add marmite to vegan stews, lentil dal and shepherd’s pie, and add a dash of red wine vinegar to pasta sauces to go all the way to flavourtown. Add both to bolognese.

20. When you start being able to keep a houseplant alive for longer than a few months it will become your child.

21. You will never get ‘compliment’ and ‘complement’ right the first time.

22. Your judgemental inner voice has the capacity to completely ruin your life, so learn to ignore it once in a while.

23. Having a tidy house makes you feel relaxed.

24. Doing the washing up actually helps you de-stress, stop pretending like it doesn’t.

25. Travelling is wonderful, fulfilling and educational, but it is a privilege, not a moral imperative.

26. Being stung by an Amazonian bullet ant F U C K I N G H U R T S.

27. Having problems you can’t overcome doesn’t mean you’re unworthy of happiness.

28. Having wonderful parents, a partner who respects you and friends who adore you makes you one of the luckiest people in the world.

29. You need to work harder on staying hydrated.

30. You aren’t doing anything wrong by being angry at the state of the world. Don’t let your anger hurt you or others, but hold onto it, and use it to fight for better.