In case you haven’t heard, I turned 23 this week. Like woah. I feel like it’s one of those weird ages where people say “omg so young” but also just paid my credit card bill with birthday money, (it honestly burned my “treat yo self” loving soul a little bit), so I’m not thaaaattt young and carefree. Honestly curious how old I have to become before people stop commenting on how young I am. I feel like probably 30. I’ll just immediately transform into a business woman with 2.5 kids and mortgage.
Every year, I always think back to where I was at this time last year and refer and assess if I have actually learned anything this year. From last year at this time to this year there has been so many changes and adjustments and realizations in my life that I feel like I’m 5 years older and not just one. I have worked pretty hard to get where I am, typing this, both physically and mentally.
Here are some of the craziest/weirdest/best things I did this year:
- Got my first job in retail in order to save more money
I knew I needed to get a job that paid me more than 200 bucks a month (that was on a good month where I went everyday that I could), so I decided retail would be okay. I’m so very glad I did because this basically got me the job I have now and who knows what I would be doing if I hadn’t made that decision.
- Stopped letting dudes ruin my fun times
It took 22 years, but I finally decided to stop caring about dudes and my need to be talking to someone all the time just because I’m bored. I let a guy run me rampant for months right before my second semester and then I got to feel stupid and manipulated. I vowed right then, I will not let a guy make me feel stupid for giving him my energy and I have yet to feel that way again. Not saying I have in any way figured out my love life at all, but at least I’m not wasting my time.
- Decided Veganism might not be the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard
What started out as a challenge between me and my roommate not to eat bread or sweets became a whole new lifestyle for me. Granted, I did watch a scary documentary about how gross meat is, but deciding to just see what happens has been pretty interesting. I’ve made brownies with zucchini that tasted like heaven and gotten to try a lot of food that I usually would turn my nose up at. I’ll still never be that health bitch that’s like “I only crave nuts and berries!!!!!” but balance is key right? Yolo?
- Realizing I don’t need a gym to stay fit, but utilizing it when I got it
I’ve taken so many awesome and fun classes at the UREC because I was privileged enough to get them for free while in school. It’s really helped me figure out what I like in workouts and what I don’t. Unfortunately, this is not the case now that I’ve graduated, moved and don’t really have a gym close enough to where I live. It was super hard trying to get up and workout before work when I started my new job since I wasn’t used to being up so early. Thankfully, I found some amazing workouts on Youtube for free and got figured out what works for me, not just what I think I should be doing or how long I have to do it for.
- Doing shit because I wanted to, not because it made sense or I had everything that came after, planned out
I have been privileged enough to be able to make decisions about my life that were suuupperrrr spontaneous and not very well thought out. This past year, I quit a job because it was literally causing me stress every single day, to the point where I didn’t do anything but work and school. I decided that that was not how I wanted to spend my last semester of college, so I left and never looked back. Thinking about it now, I’m so very glad I did that because I had the best spring semester I could’ve asked for, and I managed to make the Dean’s List (for once). Obviously also me moving my whole life to NYC and getting a big girl job but I talk about that enough.
And last but not least, I started this whole blogging journey. Still don’t really know what I’m doing with this thing but I’m doing something I guess! I honestly really enjoy writing it even if only 3 people actually pay attention to it. Overall, this 22nd year of my life has been wild, but definitely one of the best yet (if not the best).
Here’s more highlights in pictures for fun:
Got the love of my life, my greyson, my boos butt, my poop and my heart.
Took a candid picture at Christmas that was probably the cutest picture I’ll ever take
Crashed a wedding with my best friend and had the most fun
Wore green lipstick and it changed my life
Drunk girls are the best don’t fight me on this.
Had a professional take pictures of me and didn’t really know what to do with myself
Got to visit my shnookum pop in Nashville and fell in love with a city that wasn’t New York
Got to meet this dog!!! All dogs are important. Also this was just a really nice day with friends
GRADUATED. Nbd
Watched my best friend get married and tore up the dance floor(honestly if your face don’t look like that when you dance then you’re not doing it right)
After 4 years of going to Fred’s I finally made it onto their FB page
Hauled my butt to Bushwhack after some crazy flights
Got me a professional 9-5 working for the MAN job.
And drank WAYYYYYYYYYYYY too much coffee at really cute coffee houses