Reflecting on 28 (+ 29 Things That Make Me Happy)


On Sunday, I turned 29 years old. And no, I’m not really one of those people to be like “OMG I’M ALMOST 30 S.O.S”.

I’ve never been a HUGE birthday person. (I do, however, like to annoy my friends and family around my birthday.) But to be honest, I don’t really care about it. It’s just another year. With every birthday, I think about the year before. What I posted on here about my birthday. How I have changed. Basically just a moment of reflection. Last year, my birthday was weird for obvious reasons. I was at a very different point in life, we were still in the middle of a pandemic. But I knew I wanted to grow. 

I think I did a lot of that. I grew tremendously in my role at Lou & Grey. I feel so comfortable with where I’m at. I absolutely LOVE what I do. LIKE. LOVE. Now that we can be in and out of the office, I feel like I’m really able to learn more when I’m surrounded by my team. I also wanted to make sure I continued to use my platform for social change. I voted for the very first time in November. I make sure to share facts whenever I can. I support causes that mean a lot to not only myself but also to others. I did a lot of personal growing. I moved into my own apartment. I learned what I certainly did not want in my life, and made decisions for myself. Once I allowed myself to come first, one of the most incredible human beings appeared in my life! And finally I wanted to grow my business — while that’s another story, I think I definitely have learned to connect more with those who are following me. The last year I’ve learned a lot about people who choose to read my posts or follow me on Instagram.

Overall 28 was a GREAT year. And I know 29 will be BETTER.

29 things that make me so happy

  1. MY NIECE WAS BORN ON MY BIRTHDAY — I mean I honestly should just stop here because OMG BYE!!!!
  2. Going back into the office
  3. Finding new places in my neighborhood
  4. Citi Biking around the city
  5. Taking the subway
  6. Making delicious iced coffees at home
  7. Getting my own apartment
  8. Decorating my apartment
  9. Cooking simple meals that taste so good
  10. Sushi date nights every weekend
  11. Starting a gratitude list every morning
  12. Finding new fun accounts to follow
  13. Starting therapy (more on that later!)
  14. Loving my job
  15. The vaccine/science (plz do your research!)
  16. Seeing my friends happy
  17. Doing small, thoughtful things for people
  18. Walks in Central Park
  19. Espresso Martinis
  20. The people on my team at work
  21. New clothes
  22. Happy texts
  23. When my parents stock my apartment with paper towels (LOL, but seriously)
  24. A good hair day
  25. Binge-worthy shows
  26. Awesome documentaries
  27. Going back to SoulCycle classes
  28. Random acts of kindess
  29. Connecting with strangers

While all of these things are so random, there’s something to be said about them. Reflecting on what makes you happy at a certain point in time is SO important, and it puts so much into perspective. And with that, I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to another good year.


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2 Comments

  1. 8.18.21
    Lisa said:

    LOVED this post, Dana!!! It is so clear that you’ve grown a lot in a year, and have created a really beautiful life for yourself! I love following your journey 🙂 Happy belated birthday!!!

    Lisa
    http://www.theelevatedesthetician.com
    http://www.theeverydayelevated.com

    • 8.20.21

      THANK YOU, LISA! You are the absolute sweetest, and your words always mean so much to me!