Happy 30th Birthday to Me! 🍰

I turned 30 today.

That feels strange to say. Not because I feel old, but because 30 always sounded like something other people reached first —people who I thought were actually “older guys.” Guys who don’t play cricket, football, or badminton anymore, and while meeting on the streets, they just try to reminisce looking at teens saying “Give me a few overs to bat,” “Can I play 10 minutes with you?” and more

My twenties passed fast. Long nights. Random plans. Chilling out and hanging out with friends. Work that shaped. Somewhere along the way, I stopped rushing to figure everything out, got married, became a father, met many online friends, attended a few new WordCamps, spoke at a few of them, and along the way, made a few new friends both locally and around the globe.

I don’t have a list of 30 things I’ve done or want to do. I became a lot more faithful and became more religious, trying to be a practicing Muslim in the last decade. I feel grateful. For the people who stayed. For the lessons that hurt but helped. For the small choices that made me better. For all the moments shared with my friends, colleagues, and well-wishers.

If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be simple. “Live, smile, stay happy, who knows what tomorrow may bring.”

Here’s to being 30. Still learning. Still curious. Still here.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish