What is it about spring that makes you feel nostalgic for the good ol’ days. Feeling a little inspired by Sarah’s post about her pre-graduation bucket list, and this Top 25 list, I thought I would reflect on what I’ve learned since entering my 20’s nearly 5 years ago. Unlike a lot of my friends, my college graduation was a little anti-climatic. I had worked nearly full-time the last 2 years of my time spent at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and I still had to finish one class before I would receive my diploma (drawing 101 didn’t transfer, much to my dismay). Regardless, I was relieved to be done with homework, and to move on into the bigger and better future. Since then a lot has changed, so here goes – my list of top lessons learned in my early 20s, take note S.
1. Champagne is always appropriate and delicious.
2. People are fucking weird. They make choices that make zero sense, they say mean things, they are backstabbing, they’re goofy, they are disrespectful to people they should be respectful to, they do nice things when you least expect it, they are full of surprises, and everyone gets weirder as they get older.
3. You’re job doesn’t make you. I saw something on Pinterest recently that said, “Never be ashamed of your job. If you flip burgers, flip some fucking dope burgers.” Seriously, do your best at your job and you will be rewarded. Be creative, speak up, introduce the company to new ideas, and for goodness sake, if the website needs to be redone, redo it.
4. Get outside, go to beer festivals, art festivals, wine tastings, campgrounds, river trips, remote areas, see the things you want to see.
5. Friendships can survive any distance. Just pick up the phone, login to gchat, text, or email, but don’t be the only person putting an effort in.
6. Live with no regrets, but know that there will be things that resurface that you wish wouldn’t and didn’t.
7. If you break a bone, wear the cast as long as the doctor says, do the physical therapy, and take a calcium supplement otherwise you will pay later in life.
8. Your hangovers WILL get worse.
9. Exercise for stress release and then hit happy hour, otherwise you might end up in a glass case of emotion.
10. You will start to feel old, but don’t say, “I’m so old” because you aren’t.
11. Untag unflattering, incriminating, or embarrassing photos on Facebook.
12. If you find someone that you love and loves you, do everything in your power to fight for that relationship, if it is meant to be it will work, if it is not, it won’t. Don’t let them disrespect you.
13. You aren’t as funny as you think you are when you drunk tweet.
14. Communication is the key to any relationship.
15. Don’t invite your boss to your bachelorette party.
16. If you hate your body, you will portray negativity, either change it or embrace it.
17. Buy furniture off Craigslist, it is cheap, and the green option.
18. Don’t complain about how busy you are, it makes it look like you are compensating for something.
19. Travel, because in 10 years when you have 3 kids and a mortgage, you won’t be able to justify going to Costa Rica for 10 days, or spending $1000 in Vegas, or taking three weeks for a road trip. Even if it’s for a weekend, go visit your friends that live in other cities, sleep on couches, experience music festivals. Just go!
20. You will think you got your dream job, that dream will change in a couple of years.
xx
-h