Chloe Morant
Better With Age: Wine, Cheese and Life Perception..?
Updated: Sep 27, 2020
Itâs my birthday tomorrow, the mantra âanother year older, another year wiserâ ringing in my ears, not necessarily ringing true of course, but probably should be be prevalent for someone in their late twenties (apparently 28 isnât classed as mid-twenties, whoâd have thought?!). Celebrations will come in the traditional party form of good olâ fashion social distancing in the park with some mates who can make it without relying on public transport (wild right, I refuse to be tamed in my old ageâŠ). Although my housemate is bound to make it special and there was talk of pancakes in bed, so canât really complain!
Iâve decided to do the blog post in list form like the ageing millennial that I am (Buzzfeed here I come), so hereâs 28 exceedingly insightful (lol) things Iâve learnt in my 28 revolutions around the sun:

1. Be kinder to yourself, like genuinely be nicer. Have that extra slice of cake, glass of red, Jager bomb; lifeâs too short for moderation all the time.
2. You donât have to have your dream job figured out right away; you can dither for a few years, choose a subject to study for three years and then after all that decide to pursue a different career than the one you studied for. 7/10 route would recommend.
3. Travel â go on at least one long trip for several months at a time. Travel is of course addictive so one adventure will never be enoughâŠ
4. Save any spare cash monies you can, even if you donât have a reason youâre always going to appreciate a surplus of funds.
5. Go at your own pace â best mate has a baby and a house, and youâve just found a reason to get out of bed in the morning post-Big Night Out? That doesnât reflect accomplishment; it just indicates different priorities and a different stage in life. You do you.
6. Never compare yourself to others. That vapid influencer on Instagram giving her unsolicited skin care advice is most likely not âliving the dreamâ behind closed doors, so try not to covet otherâs lives when youâre only privy to the tip of the iceberg.
7. Red wine is love, red wine is life.
8. Comfy PJs over sexy satin numbers any day of the week (although try not to hoard sets that youâve had since you were 13âŠ).
9. Perfect your fave cocktail recipe at home. This will always be useful.
10. Do something wild; of course this open to interpretation and could be as bold as trying oysters for the first time, or something tame like jumping out of a plane.
11. Know yourself and know your worth. Donât be a doormat and stand up for what you believe in, even if it instigates conflict (my absolute least favourite thing in the world as Iâm usually about as outspoken as a dormouse).
12. Eat ice cream for breakfast, birthday cake for lunch (even if it isnât your birthday) and cereal for dinner cause youâre an adult and no one can tell you what to do (diabetes who?)
13. Read more. So much more. Or at least listen to a podcast.
14. Watch series/films outside your comfort zone genre (Downton Abbey is on my list).
15. Appreciate your home town. This is usually easier to do if youâve left as you donât tend to know what youâve got âtil itâs gone. Penzance 4 lyf.
16. Call your parents/family members often. Donât take them for granted like you did in your teenage years (cue 14 year old angsty emo stage).
17. Explore your surroundings; be it at home or work. Take some time to properly explore the area around you, sometimes you donât need to go further afield to have an adventure.
18. Get a pet, even if itâs a rock, as it gives you companionship, a sense of responsibility and unconditional love (rocks Iâve heard are particularly loving creatures).
19. Get a plant; get another plant; get several more plants. Remember to water indoor rainforest.
20. Have a go-to bake â peanut butter cookies are always a winner in my eyes.
21. Find your party trick. Cracking out that breakdancing move on the sweaty, sticky nightclub floor will never get oldâŠ
22. Stick to a hobby damnit â pick up those knitting needles and power through.
23. Keep hoarding those beanie babies (theyâll be good for your retirement fund one day youâll seeâŠ).
24. Go to more festivals/gigs/events. Just saying âyesâ more in general. This is when those surplus cash monies would come in handy.
25. Itâs okay to not have a plan. I donât even have a p.l.a.
26. Buy the new outfit but make room by clearing out some old garms. Have more clothes swaps with mates (who doesnât love free clothes?!).
27. Learn something new. I havenât yet decided if thatâs a language, dance routine or a secret handshake.
28. When youâre in the final stage of grieving your age, accept what you canât change and that âage is but a numberâ. The years start coming and they really donât stop coming, so adopt the attitude of a mature cheese or a fine wine, and be under the impression that the best is yet to come.