10 things my 20-year self didn't know about being 30

I love the Thanksgiving Holiday. It always ensures my birthday celebration protracts over four days. On the eve of my crossing over from being yuppy to smug, I drew a list of thing I didn't know when I was 20. Although these things are obvious, and experienced adults (parents, older sibling, bosses, teachers, stranger on train) told me a decade ago, it took my own adventurous encounters to interpret their words.

1. Family comes first.
2. I like working in a set routine, no matter how mundane the tasks may seem.
3. Writing is my first love, and I will continue to pursue it, although I may not turn out to be that bestselling author dais.
4. Shedding 5 kgs is not as easy as a week's summer camp in the hills of Coorg anymore.
5. Pepsi, you can't beat the addiction of Espresso shots.
6. I do look better with neck-length hair. Like mom would say, the crew cut makes me look like a skinned chicken.
7. Not getting first-grade does not mean that life is doomed. It simply means I'm no good at rote-learning, which makes me an idea-person, and thus more employable.
8. I should have read all those books which were in the recommended reading list over hanging out with colleage-mates. They are awesome pieces of writing, as I have found out.
9. Be yourself, in clothes, words, and actions. Everyone around you is in the same groove of self-doubt.
10. Patience grows, tolerance disappears