On the eve of my 30^th birthday and after I year full of hardships, I wanted to take the time and reflect and what I have learned through the first 30 years of my life. While writing this list, I thought about family, close and distant; about friends, those who have been with me through thick and thin, and those who are not around anymore; about the things that I like and enjoy, and those that I rather ignore; about the places that I have been to, and specially on the ones that are still in the “to-go” list; and I thought about those moments of pure happiness, as well as those that were rather sad. In these 30 years…

30. I learned that money runs out. – I always knew that money just doesn’t appear by magic. But since it was something that I always took for granted, facing the fact that there was no more of it, a situation that I never thought I would be in, was a realization difficult to accept. / Aprendí que el dinero se acaba.

29. I learned that math is important and regardless of my profession I WILL need it in my life. / Aprendí que las matemáticas si importan.

28. I learned that it is ok to ask for help. / Aprendí que está bien pedir ayuda.

27. I learned that sometimes it is ok to give up. You know when they say “never, ever give up your dreams” BS! I might have missed great opportunities while chasing after my tail. / Aprendí que hay que saber cuando desistir. 

26. I learned that Mexican food is not what the rest of the world thinks it is. It is actually so much different! / Aprendí que la comida Mexicana no es la que me habían vendido en el resto del mundo. Es muy diferente! 

25. I learned that I should not burn bridges, and I should take care of my relationships. A five-minute call can go a long way! / Aprendí que no se deben quemar los puentes, y las relaciones se deben cuidar. 

24. I learned the value of loyalty. / Aprendí el valor de la lealtad. 

23. I learned that pride has a destructive power. / Aprendí que el orgullo tiene un poder destructor. 

22. I learned that time never stops, so that I should seize every opportunity that I have. / Aprendí que el tiempo se va, por lo que hay que saber reconocer y aprovechar las oportunidades. 

21. I learned that there is no better way to spend my money than by traveling and trying new food. – Yes, as any woman I love to go shopping, but no shopping beats visiting a new place that I would not see otherwise. / Aprendí que no hay mejor forma de gastar el dinero que viajando y probando nuevos sabores.

20. I learned that it doesn’t matter if people are in a better off or worst situation than me, everyone may be able to help you along the way. / Aprendí que no importa si el otro está mejor o peor que yo, todos se merecen ser tratados por igual y nunca se sabe quién te podrá ayudar en el futuro.

19. I learned to stop being so judgmental and I now want to believe that everyone is doing their best. There is always a reason as to why people behave in a certain way. We never know what other people’s circumstances and reasons to make decisions are. / Aprendí a dejar de juzgar, porque quiero creer que todos están hacienda lo mejor con lo que tienen. Siempre hay una razón por lo que las personas son como son y toman las decisiones que toman.

18. I learned that everyone lives their own and very different reality. What seemed obvious to me, was not so for other people. / Aprendí a no hacer suposiciones, porque todos tenemos formas diferentes de entender el mundo. 

17. I learned that dogs have the kindest souls and they deserve all the love we can give them. / Aprendí que los perritos son los seres más nobles y se merecen todo el amor que se les pueda dar. 

16. I learned that acoustic guitar is my favorite sound in the world. It has a calming effect on me. / Aprendí que el sonido de la guitarra acústica tiene el poder de calmarme en mis momentos de estrés o ansiedad. 

15. I learned that with the appropriate practice and technique, I can learn anything. / Aprendí que con la práctica y técnica adecuada, todo se puede aprender.

14. I learned that mindfulness is so underestimated. It sounds obvious and easy, but it has taken me some time and effort to stop living in the future and stop taking my present for granted. / Aprendí que hay que aprender a vivir y disfrutar el momento. 

13. I learned that peace is not only the absence of war. / Aprendí que la paz de un país no es solo la ausencia de guerra. 

12. I learned that healthy eating is the best medicine. / Aprendí que la buena alimentación es la mejor medicina. 

11. I learned that relationships begin out of love, but are maintained out of decision and commitment. Somebody once told me “love only comes so far”. I find it to be absolutely true, as much as we love someone, love by itself won’t keep two people together if things such as respect, honesty, and even timing are absent. / Aprendí que las relaciones de pareja comienzan por amor, pero se mantienen por decisión y compromiso. 

10. I learned the benefits of practicing yoga. I started practicing yoga because it was trending. However, the more I practiced the more I understood how every position and the effort it demanded could be applied to real life situations. More than once, getting into a yoga position helped me understand a particular circumstance going on in my life. / Aprendí los beneficios de la práctica de yoga. 

9. I learned the importance of sports. I learned to love watching tennis, as almost every match that I saw taught me a life lesson. Who can teach the power of mental strength better than Nadal or Sharapova? The importance of practice and discipline more than Federer? Or how to not let the haters drag you down more than Serena? / Aprendí a disfrutar el tenis. Y que con cada partido que veo puedo aprender una enseñanza para la vida.  

8. I learned that exercise is not precisely to lose weight, but to take the weight off your shoulders. Want to lose weigh? Watch what you eat! / Aprendí que el ejercicio no es para bajar de peso, sino para quitarte la carga de encima. Si quieres perder peso, cuida lo que comes!

7. I learned to let go of things that were pulling me back. / Aprendí a dejar ir todo aquello que no me dejaba avanzar. 

6. I learned that if I don’t have anything good to say, I should better stay quiet. / Aprendí que mis palabras deben ser mejor que el silencio, si no lo son, mejor me debo quedar callada. 

5. I learned that sometimes the best way to find the way, is by getting lost, both, literally and figurative. / Aprendí que la mejor forma de conocer el camino, es perdiéndote.

4. I learned the importance of being grateful. Even at times when I thought I had nothing to be thankful for, I would come up with a list of at least five things to thank for. This immediately made me feel lucky and blessed, and consequently, raised my mood. / Aprendí la importancia de ser agradecido. 

3. I learned that at the end, we are all looking for the same things: happiness, or at least to just be at peace. / Aprendí que al final, todos buscamos lo mismo: felicidad, o en su defecto, tranquilidad. 

2. I learned that people run out of patience, and everything and everyone has its own limits. / Aprendí que la paciencia se acaba, y que todo y todos tienen un límite

1. I learned that life isn’t either fair or unfair, life just is and we just have to live it, do our best, and keep going. / Aprendí que la vida no es justa ni injusta, la vida simplemente es y nosotros solo tenemos que vivirla. 

Here’s to the next 30 years!