• He has a girlfriend?! #readingoffwhiteboards
  • throwing up at fraternity date parties, on your date. #whereami?
  • meals with the girls <3 #recuperate
  • our nights. #everynight
  • Our lives

three cheers for the teenage years

In approximately 25 days , it will be my 20th birthday.



In my head, I paint this to be a monumental occasion marked not by parties or extravagance but by the simple hope that I’ve attained at least some useful lessons in the past years that I can carry with me into the second decade of my life.



Lesson #1: Fake it ‘til you make it. My teenage years, and most of my life thus far, can be characterized by a never ending journey towards acceptance and the reckless unrealistic attainment of being “that girl.” This is all well and fine, but you have to be realistic with yourself. It is physically and irrevocably impossible to attain anywhere near this perfection, however, the pursuit of it should be enough to satisfy us. See, at the end of the day, no one is a worse critic and skeptic but our ownselves, and to the rest of the world, we are “that girl.” Whether or not that is true is completely and unforgivingly irrelevant. 



Lesson #2: Swallow your pride. As humans, it is instinct to think. As girls, it is natural to overthink. As teenage girls, it is our inalienable right and unrelenting curse to overthink things into oblivion. However, it is important to retain perspective and realize that not everything is about us, and this is actually the greatest thing. We have to take chances. We rob ourselves of both opportunities to earn and lessons to learn, if we let our own pride get us down. 



Lesson #2.5: Swallow your pride (but not to chase your drink).  Yes, people do stupid things when they are drunk. Here’s a news flash though, it’s still stupid even if you’re drunk and it will still be stupid the morning after. 



Lesson #3: There is a difference between friends and acquaintances.  Know the difference, and recognize the difference. If you cannot cry to them, they are not worth crying over. 



Lesson #4: When all else fails, DONT. In the flawless delivery of complaints and whines, it is easy to forget that we have any capabilities. However, it is important to remember that we can be the change we want to see in ourselves or in the world. If we are not, there is someone who is and He will never abandon you. Things get better. They do and they will. Never give up….if not in belief in yourself, at least in your belief in Him. 



Lesson #5: Making out is fun, hickeys are not. Thankfully a bag of peas, some toothpaste, and your best friend is the perfect remedy. 



Lesson #6: Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.  It is very easy for me to let things ago, however this becomes a problem as I let people walk all over me. It is important to remember, that sometimes the right thing to do isn’t walking away, it’s standing up for yourself. Not just out so the other person will respect you, but so you will respect yourself. 


Lesson #7: Friends. Never underestimate them, and never undervalue them. A true friend understands when you’re not always there because they know you are there for them always and vice versa. I love them to the moon and back. My friends this semester have had my back through it all. There to help me cover up hickeys, pick me up from sketchy poor life decisions, help me gain perspective, and protect me from the people that hurt me. They have really and truly made me a better person and I cannot imagine my life without these people. Even if they do speak in Spanish. 



Lesson #8: Sometimes, to stay sane, we must do things completely out of character and out of plan. One of the best days of the year was Halloween. 3 hours before the concert was set to start, a friend and I purchased tickets out of the blue, drove to the concert with a guy we just met drinking a handel of vodka the whole ride, bought an overpriced over the top dress for no rhyme or reason, changed in a food court bathroom, went to a fantastic show, and had the time of my life. 



Lesson #9: Work with what you got. There are certain things in life we are given or have worked for, we have them for a reason and we have to take advantage of them. Whether it is money, education, good looks, or intelligence, we have to use them because the power they hold is immeasurable. From the little things like getting the tech guy to fix your computer for free, or using your resources at a major international organization to set up a disaster management system in your impoverished company….work it out, girl scout. 



Whether I’m actually (and ironically) just fooling my self into naiive ignorance that these lessons are true and I can apply them to my future endeavors, is far beyond the realm of my caring. For now, I will remain content in my blissful ignorance and remind myself that tomorrow is a new day. I’m growing up and venturing into a new self and a new world. The greatest part being that if who I am and who I hope to become never converge, that is the result of my own choice, my own failure, and my own success. 



Lesson #10: Unforgivingly be yourself, fearlessly pursue your dreams.