Last year I made a list of
things I knew at twenty one.
I decided to make a similar list this year.
Because I think we should all sit down from time to time and evaluate our lives to make sure that we're still growing and learning on a regular basis. Those things are really important.
Probably more so than we realize.
//Things I Know At 22//
This is a time of abundance in your life. Be grateful for that. Don't you dare take it for granted or make it a smaller deal than it actually is. Big and exciting things are happening. Run with them.
It sometimes takes doing a bunch of small/medium sized things in order to be ready for the big crazy things. They are just as important though, and if you do them with the right attitude and perspective, the big things will come along and take you off guard and surprise you in the most wonderful way possible.
That one Taylor Swift song can be my personal theme song now.
Mushrooms really aren't so bad afterall. At least when they're fresh and uncooked.
Coffee is still amazing.
Taco Bell is no longer good after 11pm. Or ever really.
A good nights sleep is still almost always better than anything else you'd give it up for except probably driving to the beach for a concert and then driving back with the sunrise chasing you. That will always be worth losing sleep over.
Don't stop writing. It helps you figure things out. It also makes you feel more artsy and complicated than you actually are, but that's okay. Just don't let it get to your head too much.
It's always a good idea to give your Chickfila nuggets to that homeless man on the street corner. Giving them away and hearing his thanks and seeing his huge smile of appreciation will always taste better than eating them yourself ever would have.
Driving stick is still just as hard as you thought it was when you were twenty one. Maybe by twenty three you'll get it. Maybe.
Knitting in movie theaters, bowling alleys, on park benches, on buses and while you're walking down the street is fairly productive, but be prepared for the looks you will inevitably get as a result.
Being on TV isn't quite as scary as you thought it would be.
Maybe only half as much.
Don't listen to the negative nancys half as much as you are. You're better than that.
Write more letters to people. Especially your friends. They mean more than a text or Facebook message ever could.
Don't be afraid to talk to that girl with the cute coat in line at that concert. She could end up being one of the best friends you've ever had and stretch and challenge you in ways you didn't know were possible.
You need time for just you.
Don't go too long without it or you will burn out.
Rest and recharge.
Riding a bus alone to another state and back can be one of the greatest experiences you'll ever have, in a weirdly eye opening simple kind of way.
When one of your best friends says that he likes you, don't question and over analyze it so much.
Just believe him.
If there's anything worth making time for, it's reading. Don't go too long without it.
Articles online don't count.
Pick up one of those books you bought because you thought the cover was pretty. Its insides are just as nice.
21 was amazing. One of my best years yet.
22 though, this is going to be even better.
