Today’s my golden birthday and I’m turning the big 3-0! I can’t believe how quickly time flies, I feel like I just turned 21. Last weekend Phil surprised me with a getaway to Napa with our closest friends to celebrate. We had such a great time and it reminded me how lucky I am to have such a thoughtful and caring husband and the best of friends. Growing up, I always thought 30 seemed so old and I figured by now I’d have multiple kids and have it all figured out. Life didn’t quite turn out that way, but I really wouldn’t trade this life for anything. I spent so much of my 20’s chasing a career I thought I could convince myself that I wanted and searching for the “perfect” life. It wasn’t until I started taking chances, accepting that life would never be perfect and really going after my dreams that I really began to enjoy and appreciate life.

Today I want to share some advice I wish I had in my 20s:

Work hard, but take time to slow down and enjoy life too: I went to college at 16 and started working on Wall Street at 20. While I don’t regret it, I do think I placed an unnecessary amount of pressure on myself and missed out a little bit on the whole college experience.

Keep believing in your childhood dreams: You’re never too old to chase them and they may morph into something a little different. I always wanted to be a model or in the fashion industry, but I never quite grew tall enough or was willing to move to NYC (which I thought was necessary to be in fashion). I never would have thought I could be doing fashion blogging – combining both of my passions.

Don’t burn any bridges: I quit my job on Wall Street and moved to LA to pursue acting when I turned 25. I was convinced I would never work on Wall Street again…until a year later when I went back to the industry and worked at the same firm that I left. Thank goodness I kept those relationships alive and left in good standing!

Real love does exist, but it’s not perfect: I met Phil in college and he was honestly the answer to my prayers. He was so different from the guys I had dated before him and we connected on a totally different level. We were young though and we still had a lot of growing up to do. We’ve had growing pains along the way, but there’s no one else I could imagine doing this life with.

Travel more, staycation more and unplug a little more: Phil and I have been lucky enough to travel more than we ever could have imaged over the last several years. It’s opened our eyes to the things that matter in life and appreciate living in the U.S. We were just talking the other day about how we feel so unattached to material possessions after traveling for a month at a time where we literally only have our suitcases. Of course we both like nice things, but if we lost them tomorrow, life wouldn’t be over.

Spend time with those who matter most: Phil and my family are everything to me and I don’t know where I’d be without them. When times are tough, they are always who I turn to and they’ll accept me no matter how I am. There aren’t too many people in the world that will feel that way about you. Make sure they know they are appreciated and that you love them. Life really is so short.

xo, Maria

Shopbop Off-The-Shoulder Top (similar here) // BlankNYC Blue Suede Jacket (similar here) // Topshop Jeans (wearing a size 25 – size up) // Alice + Olivia Lace-Up Ribbon Heels (more sizes here) // Quay Mirrored Sunglasses // Gucci Dionysus Bag (mini size)

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