I normally love celebrating my birthday, but I dreaded turning 30 for months. I felt “behind” in a lot of areas of my life, and like I wasn’t at a life stage that I “should be” for 30 (aka engaged/married, in a job I loved, and owning property.) In speaking to a few friends about this, they said they had felt similarly before they turned 30. I went on a trip for my birthday with my family to Taipei and Hong Kong, and then saw my grandparents in Beijing for the first time since 2017, and that was so incredibly special and emotional for me. I came back to NYC after and celebrated with friends. Throughout it all I felt extremely blessed and loved, and realized how lucky and happy I was - societal expectations aside. So here’s to my version of 30 - entering a new decade with more self-assuredness, an apartment in a neighborhood I love, more passport stamps than I can count, a food/lifestyle page I love dearly, a clearer sense of where I want my future to go, and amazing and supportive friends and family 💃🏻 Thank you also to @mume_taiwan for the most amazing birthday dinner 🥘, @partyplace.nyc for helping me plan the best birthday party at @babaonwithers 🎊 🍷, and @zoe.branch for putting into words my feelings on turning 30 📝 . . . . . #nycblog #nycbloggers #nyclifestyle #nycliving #nyclife