SOPHIE LI

Hey everyone!

In January I turned 30.

I started to write a blog post about it, then felt completely overwhelmed hahaha…….

Here we go. Attempt #2.

I think this post will be different than the other posts I’ve written. It’s more for myself, so that one of these days, I’ll maybe dig up this post and think, Ooooohhhh so that’s what I did in my twenties.

(By the way, this list is in no particular order.)

10. I got a degree.

I started and finished pharmacy school and graduated with a professional degree, which qualifies me to say stuff about drugs that people will believe, and get paid for it.

9. I adopted two dogs.

After meeting a friend who has an adorable, gorgeous greyhound, I decided to rescue a greyhound too. His name was Charles and he’s in doggy heaven right now. Later on, we also welcomed the happy-go-lucky old guy Zander into our lives. (He’s still alive and kicking.)

8. I changed my attitude about shopping.

Before, I always bought the cheapest stuff on sale. Now, I focus more on quality than quantity. I also like to buy things second-hand to reduce my global footprint.

7. I got smart about money.

Once I started working and earning money… I actually spent it more wisely. I also learned to budget and save, and invest in some good-quality ETFs. I learned about tax-free savings, retirement savings, education savings, how to do my taxes… okay, I’ll stop boring you guys.

6. I met the love of my life.

He’s wonderful.

5. I re-discovered reading.

I used to love books, until I had to read a gazillion textbooks and journal articles for pharmacy school. Once I graduated and didn’t have to read as many drug charts, I started reading books I loved again.

4. I re-discovered writing, and became serious about it.

I wrote some novels when I was a teen and I thought they were great (they weren’t.) Things got busy in university and I gave up writing for a bit and forgot that I was a writer. (Literally. I just forgot about it.) Then one day I remembered NaNoWriMo again, opened up Microsoft Word, and started typing. Thank goodness I did.

3. I moved to Vancouver.

It’s a beautiful place. Highest rent I’ve ever forked over. But beautiful place.

2. I learned to make friends, and… in general, be less of an awkward penguin.

I’m still an awkward penguin, but… I guess it comes in the package of who I am, and I learned to like who I am, so it’s all good.

1. I had a wonderful baby boy.

He cries a whole lot, but he’s adorable and watching him grow is the best kind of magic there is.

Part of me thinks, “Gah! I’m old!” But looking back, I’m so happy about how far I’d come, and I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Photo by Olesia Misty on Unsplash