I turned 29 thirty days ago. In fact, I turned 29 on March 29th. My golden year according to the internet. Beyonce launching her new album on that exact day was honestly a sign from the universe that this is going to phenomenal year, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. However, I will admit that these past 30 days have been challenging. I’m a recent MBA graduate who is unemployed and using dad’s credit card to pay for everything. Yes, I’m broke. I’m also single, have adult acne, don’t know where I’m going to be living after July (more on that later), and I honestly have no idea what I’m doing with my life. But I’m still hopeful, some may say delusional, that this is going to be a defining year for me, a year that marks my path for my 30s to come. So, I’ve decided to document my journey. Document my goals, my reflections, my advice, my thoughts. I may be a little late to the blogging game, but here I am.
Whether you’re in your late twenties, early thirties, or simply navigating life as a woman, I hope reading about my journey gives you comfort in that you’re not alone. We all like to think we’re incredibly unique and no one knows what it’s like to be us. The truth is we’re all more connected than we think. In the good and the bad, whatever you’re experiencing someone else has likely experienced it too. What I love about women is how open we are about it and how we genuinely try to help each other through it, even with strangers on the internet.
Where I am in life
I moved to Barcelona in 2022 to start an MBA at a top business school. Before then I had been living and working in Singapore for almost 4 years. I wasn’t very happy with the industry I was working in and wanted a change. I always knew I wanted to live in Europe long term, so an MBA felt like a next step.
My MBA experience was amazing. I’ll get more into it in another post sometime, but what I can say for now is that it was the hardest, most challenging, most fun, and most memorable time of my life. I learned a lot beyond the classroom and really grew as a person. I also met some of my now best friends and for that reason alone I’m already so thankful. I know it’s a huge privilege to have done this so even through rough periods like now where I’m trying to navigate this insane job market, I try to remind myself how lucky and blessed I’ve been.
I fell in love with Barcelona and for the first time in my life, I can see myself staying in one place for an extended period of time. I was born and raised in Ecuador, but since the age of 18, I’ve lived in 5 other countries including Spain. Every 3-5 years I’ve been ready to uproot my life and go somewhere new because nowhere felt like home. Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s the Barcelona air, most likely a mix of both, but I want to stay. I want to build a life here. This is incredibly exciting, and I want to start building that now. Find a cute apartment to live in beyond 9 months at time. Meet someone I can spend the rest of my life with. Have friends I’ve known for years who live in the same city. Ideally, even convince my brother to move here too and finally have family members in the same country as me. I can see this life and I love it.
I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “That’s awesome, what’s the issue?”. Well, my student visa ends this summer. There are options to explore in terms of extending it, but the fact of the matter is that I need to find a job. ASAP. Again, ok great then do it, right?
I’m trying! Me and the majority of my classmates are seriously trying all over the world. Article after article, you’ll see how tough it is to find a job right now. The supply of job seekers is much higher than the demand, making it extremely competitive. I won’t go into a rant about it, but let’s just say that landing a decently-paying job that will sponsor a work permit in Spain right now is proving to be harder than I was expecting. Nonetheless, I remain hopeful and will persevere in the search.
Over the past year, I’ve stepped into an intense healing journey with many highs and lows. Healing my gut, my hormones, my inner child. I’ve done anything from transformational breathwork and Kambo, to detoxes and medication. There’s still a long way to go and I’ll share more about this journey in due time. Now that I have the time and mental space I’m taking this healing more seriously. I’ve started working out and cooking consistently. Medication also seems to be having a positive effect so far. I hope I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of my acne nightmare. I’ve learned a lot about myself and have a clearer idea of personal things I need to heal like anxious attachment and childhood traumas. Getting into spirituality, meditation and manifestation has also been a big toping for me that I’m continuing to explore.
For final context on the type of person I am I can share that I classify myself as an ambivert – I can be social and outgoing, but I need lots of alone time to recharge. I prioritize friendships and will do anything for the people I care about. I am impatient and can let my emotions get the best of me sometimes. I try to be positive and easygoing for the most part and have learned how to be more tolerant and resilient. Things like travel, live music, sunsets, and laughter fuel my soul. Despite being at the cusp, I am aware I’m a cringey millennial sometimes and I’m okay with it. I’m a strong feminist, in the true sense of the word. My family is my everything. I’m sure there’s so much more I can share but I think this gives a good grasp of who I am. So, hi.
This Blog
I have tons of ideas for this blog, starting with my 30 before 30 category where each month I’ll be sharing a new list of 30 things related to almost turning thirty. I started with my personal 30 Before 30 List, check it out.
I’ll also be sharing experiences that have taught me things, product recommendations, travel suggestions, and so much more.