Today is my 28th birthday.
Leading up to it, I didn’t feel any particular sense of excitement. 28 feels like one of those “flyover birthdays”. Not necessarily a milestone to celebrate or reflect upon, just closer to 30.
I’ve spent the last week surrounded by friends old and new. Being around them triggered a unique sense that while 28 isn’t particularly special, “10 years after 18” feels a bit more momentous and worthy of reflection.
I’m reminded of the Bill Gates quote: “most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years”.
I remember my 18th birthday. I remember how confused, ambitious, and excited I was. Perceived adulthood. 10 years into “adulthood”, I am just starting to feel it. Finally understanding taxes, finally feeling in control of my path, finally feeling confident in who I am.
18 no longer feels close like a neighbor, but it doesn’t feel like a distant relative either. The memories are still there, though they are getting hazier.
As a celebration of my 28th birthday, I’m zooming out. I’m refreshing my perspective on time, reminding myself of how many things can change in a decade, and motivating myself forward into a new one.
This is more for me than it is for you.
In the last decade I… (chronological)
- Spent a month in rural Kenya
- Graduated high school
- Spoke at my high school graduation
- Moved away from home (Tucson, AZ) to the Bay Area (Santa Clara University)
- Struggled with homesickness and disappointment around my academic path at Santa Clara
- Transferred colleges and moved back home to Arizona
- Dropped Pre-Med, my (at the time) lifelong passion
- Scrambled around, unsure of what to do next
- Lost my first grandparent
- Felt my identity shift away from “future surgeon”
- Lived in New York for a summer, worked in finance —
- Struggled through depression after coming back from NY
- Learned how to talk about that
- Channeled my sadness into productivity, sent 150 cold emails looking for a job in tech — my newfound passion
- Received about 40 responses, had 20 conversations, 5 job offers
- Lived in Chicago for a summer, working in tech at Techstars
- Finally felt like I found what I wanted to do. Felt a proper sense of professional belonging.
- Experienced my first music festival
- Cohabited LA and Tucson for my senior year, launching Built in LA
- Graduated college
- Spoke at my college graduation
- Moved to LA
- Got into venture capital / learned what venture capital was
- Hosted dozens of events — big and small — bringing people together
- Received Forbes 30 Under 30
- Launched a new venture fund
- Gave a TEDx talk
- Made countless uniquely LA memories across music, culture, restaurants, outdoors, and more.
- Invested in over 80 companies
- Became more civically and politically engaged
- Pushed myself to be more present, available to loved ones
- Made the most difficult professional decision of my life
- Took 6 weeks off. Hiked the Milford Track. Traveled. Read. Wrote. Listened.
- Made the most difficult personal decision of my life
- Started new
thrived but felt unfulfilled
In the next decade I hope to… (not chronological)
- Be more intentional with my time
- Take bigger risks
- Start a company
- Find my person
- Write a book
- Create more poetry
- Start a family
- Travel more often, for longer
- Build a deeper sense of community
It’s funny, at 28, I finally feel like an adult, something that was prescribed to me 10 years ago. I feel prepared for what’s to come.
Can’t wait to see how it goes.
…
Reward if you made it this far: a visual representation of 10 years passed. Watches are timeless.
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