I’m 31. I love being 31, its my favorite year so far and everything is awesome.

It’s also the first year I have realized I am not that young, in a good way. I am more confident, care less what others think, and I’m learning how to take care of myself. I am happy to leave a bar when I am tired and it feels kind of loud. My thirties are great because there is a clean (if arbitrary) line between the mistakes of my 20’s and now. I can now look back with affection at twenty-something-me and say “oh, you’re so cute and dumb.”

It’s also the year when I’m starting to see wrinkles and sun damage, which is slightly less fun. I have spent a lot of my life running around outside, falling asleep in the sun probably not eating enough veggies. I love my crinkly smile lines on my eyes and I don’t want to get rid of those, but the other stuff I can live with out.

I have started getting facials, because it’s apparently not cool to drink the blood of virgins to stay young. Facials are awesome, and in Cambodia, they are cheap. I went for the first time this week with a friend who has a few years on me, but her skin hasn’t aged since 1988. Aside from her obvious robot-alien genetics, she takes damn good care of herself and skin, so I decided to give it a shot.

We went to a Ira Spa in Phnom Penh. They use only Dermalogica products and their technicians are well-trained, professional, and give one helluva head massage. The “1 hour” facial was a cool 2.5 hours and I left feeling like a super happy, super shiny zombie. I will be back.

Besides, getting facials means I won’t have to eat my friends.

Photo from NYDN