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Shikha la mode

Eating Life to its Fullest in San Francisco, CA.

Home » Keeping It Real » Thirty

July 10, 2019

Thirty

shikha_kaiwar_thirty

I’m thirty today! Woah.

I started writing this blogpost last year when I turned 29. Things were rapidly changing. Many of my friends got married. Others moved away. Suddenly, my idyllic world of having everyone I love within a 10-mile radius was dissipating. And it was FREAKING ME OUT.

Thirty is the year you think you’re supposed to have it figured out. When I was younger, I was sure that by thirty, I’d be wifed up + kid + dream job. L-O-L. Life don’t work that way.

In my teenage years, I wore all black and listened to My Chemical Romance unironically. I stayed away from my volatile home and found acceptance in restaurants, first as a waitress and then as a pastry cook. I learned to be different.

In college, I cooked full-time while double majoring while being in a relationship and still going to parties. I sold ice cream during summers and saved all my money to buy a KitchenAid. I learned how to hustle.

In my early twenties, I walked everywhere, cuz I didn’t have money to do much else. I got diagnosed with anemia and started monitoring my health. I ran a half marathon. I started this blog. I quit my first job. I learned to persist.

In my mid twenties, I broke up with someone I thought I would marry. I took my first solo trip to Paris. I got in and out of an abusive relationship. I swam Alcatraz. I ran a full marathon. I learned that life hurts.

In my late twenties, I quit tech and went back to Paris to study pastry. I began creative writing. I missed India more and more. I cooked Indian food for the first time. I fell in love. I went to Paris for a third time. I learned to channel my energy.

I could not have predicted my life to be this way. But here I am at thirty, still standing. I don’t have everything I want, but I have a lot of experiences to guide me into the next decade. And while I can’t really predict what it’ll look like, I can say that I want it to look something like this:

Tell stories through food and words.
Have more adventures in more places.
Build a life with the person I love.
Be a master of my time and energy.
Inspire others.
Find mentors.
Deepen friendships.
Keep learning.

In the wise words of Drake, it’s far from over.

bay_bridge_sunset

And for all the other life lessons I picked up along the way in the last decade, I shared them below with some anecdotes:


  • There is still room at the top.
  • Pay less on rent and more on trips (you don’t need to have the best apartment right now).
  • Stop straightening your hair so much (nobody cares).
  • Keep in touch with the people who matter.
  • You don’t need to work in a restaurant to be a chef (talents don’t go away).
  • You don’t always need to be dating someone.
  • Mornings are magical (sunrise hikes before work are still my favorite).
  • You don’t need to let your past rule your future (you aren’t your parents).
  • You cannot change people.
  • Space from people is good (although also terrifying).
  • Relationships are hard (always, all the time).
  • Travel solo (this continues to be my most eye-opening experience).
  • Save money (stop buying coffee).
  • Anything can happen in Monopoly Deal.
  • Related, Know your deal breakers, and just say no.
  • Being right is not always important.
  • You don’t owe a company anything (I’ve changed jobs often, but each time has been a promotion and a raise, which would not have happened by staying).
  • It’s okay to own the parts of your culture you like and discard what you don’t.
  • Call your parents (they miss you).
  • Love is work (and worth the struggle).
  • The hangovers do get worse after 25.
  • Nobody has it all figured out.
  • There some types of pain that you will never get over. So you will have to learn how to live with the hurt (bless up for therapy).
  • There is so much more to the world than money (see: morning hikes).
  • Get an electric toothbrush (jury is still out on flossing, tho).
  • Milestones aren’t determined by how old you are.
  • You are worthy of love.

Filed Under: Keeping It Real Tagged With: Birthday, keeping it real, life lessons, turning 30

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Divya says

    July 11, 2019 at 9:26 am

    Fantastic post! Loved reading it. Happy Birthday to you!

    Reply
  2. Jake T says

    July 13, 2019 at 4:55 am

    I really enjoyed reading this. Happy birthday!

    Reply
  3. Vinson says

    February 2, 2020 at 8:40 pm

    I just turned thirty a few months back and I was freaking out, too. Reading this post definitely calmed myself and made me feel like everything will be okay.

    Reply
  4. Monika says

    May 29, 2020 at 11:57 am

    There is NO way you eat what you bake.

    Reply
    • Shikha says

      May 29, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      But I do! I run a lot 🙂

      Reply

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About

Shikha here - a pastry chef, runner, and writer based in San Francisco. I've worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants and blasted a lot of hip hop during prep service. Now I develop recipes, write, run races, and teach classes so you too can eat life to its fullest.

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