RIP, my twenties

IN MEMORIUM.

Here lies Nasrene's youth.  I hearby retire way-too-short jean skirts, shorts or sweatpants with writing across the butt, and any alcoholic beverage with the word "Pucker" in it's title.  I entrust all neon colored nailpolishes to my darling daughter, Sadira, and I pass on the ability to "show up at work so hungover that it's questionable whether or not I'm still drunk" to my sister Neda (though I don't recommend doing it).  I will never again kiss a boy in a bar whom I just met. Especially if I'm not certain of his name. 

 It was a good decade, full of fun and self-discovery. Lots of travel, fantastic friends, a substantial amount of partying, lots of love, the thrill of first kisses, the pain of heartbreak, bad decisions, good decisions, tough decisions that changed the course of my life, the loss of my great-grandmother who had been my biggest cheerleader and closest confidente, friends in the oddest of circumstances, "you had to have been there" stories, really nice shoes with really high heels, black eyeliner and lipgloss, a $125 flatiron that I cannot live without, maxxing out my credit card for an amazing outift, concerts all over the country, roadtrips (both planned and spontaneous), excitement of first jobs and promotions, buying my first home all on my own, make-up and break-up with my dad, over and over again, the steadfast support of my mother, the birth of a baby girl who would bring more meaning, purpose and joy to my life than I ever thought imaginable, friends who make me laugh until my stomach hurts, the disentegration of friendships with two people who I thought would be in my life forever, the exhaustion/elation of mothering a newborn, the thrill of success and the pang of defeat, happiness at reconnecting with friends who had been long-lost, thrill at technology's ability to keep me close to friends all over the country, appreciating the NOW, experiences so wonderful that I wanted to "take a picture in my mind" so I wouldn't forget, watching my sister turn into an adult and my baby turn into a little girl, and finally gaining a deep appreciation that this life is a precious one and not a single moment should be taken for granted, parlaying this into a passion to live life fearlessly and with purpose, and to love the life I live TODAY.

Thank you, twenties, you were good to me. I can honestly say I lived my twenties, exactly as I wanted to.  I look back with no regrets, glad to have experienced you, but with zero desire to do it all over again.  I'll embrace my new decade, thankyouverymuch.

Veni, vidi, vici!  Bring it, thirties!