Lit Happens
Jane Austen’s most famous novel opens with the line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged…”
Pride and Prejudice
Pete Wentz wrote most lyrics for this Chicago band known for ridiculously long song titles — like a Victorian novelist on energy drinks.
Fall Out Boy
This soft Mexican cheese is often crumbled on tacos and elotes and is known for its mild, salty flavor.
queso fresco
This Berkeley street is famous for its food scene and includes a high concentration of gourmet restaurants and specialty shops.
Shattuck Avenue (Gourmet Ghetto)
This early-2000s fashion accessory, once beloved by emo kids, is now often rediscovered during 30-year-old closet clean-outs.
a studded belt
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch teaches his children this essential lesson about understanding others.
“walk in someone else’s shoes”
This band’s debut single “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” became the anthem of 2000s emo weddings… and breakups.
Panic! at the Disco
This term refers to Japanese dishes served over rice, such as beef, chicken, or tempura placed directly on top.
donburi
This iconic LA theater is known for its handprints and footprints of movie stars set in concrete.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (TCL Chinese Theatre)
This term describes the feeling of realizing that movie characters who once seemed “old” are now the same age as you.
age relativity
Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel shares its name with something you might store a leftover burrito in.
The Bell Jar
Hayley Williams fronted this band, whose hit “Misery Business” is still screamed in cars throughout Los Angeles traffic.
Paramore
This French phrase means “everything in its place” and refers to organizing ingredients before cooking.
mise en place
This downtown LA market features dozens of food vendors offering global cuisines, drawing thousands of locals and tourists daily.
Grand Central Market
This popular self-care activity often becomes an essential weekend ritual in one’s 30s — right up there with reading a good book and pretending not to check work email.
taking a long bath
This ancient epic poem begins “Sing, Muse, of the wrath of Achilles” and predates every angsty breakup song ever written.
The Iliad
This emo subculture term refers to long, side-swept bangs — often used to hide one’s face, or avoid eye contact while ordering Crunchwrap Supremes.
“emo fringe”
This Korean dish combines rice, assorted vegetables, egg, and gochujang, all mixed together just before eating.
bibimbap
This Berkeley landmark bookstore is known for its massive selection and literary events — the kind of place where an English major could spend hours “just browsing,” then leave with five books and no regrets.
Moe’s Books
This common financial milestone often becomes a priority in one’s early 30s, involving long-term savings intended for life after work.
starting or increasing retirement planning
The title of this Virginia Woolf novel refers to the constant passage of time — which hits differently when you turn 30.
To the Lighthouse
This deep-cut emo band from the early 2000s took its name from the final words of a famous radio broadcast: “That’s all, folks.” It’s also what you say after finishing a Berkeley finals week.
The Early November
This Japanese technique of cutting vegetables into thin matchstick-like strips shares its name with a ceremonial short sword.
julienne
This Los Angeles boulevard stretches from downtown to the ocean, passing through Koreatown, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.
Wilshire Boulevard
This phrase is often used humorously to rebrand turning 30 as entering a more confident, refined era — like leveling up in adulthood.
“30, flirty, and thriving”