22 Things I’ve Learned in 22 Years

Hi guys! Today is my 22nd birthday, yaayyyy!!!

I cannot believe how old I am. How is this possible?

I always feel a little sentimental on my birthday, (and by little, I mean a lot, as last night I was sobbing on the floor to Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” at 3 in the morning…) but anyway, I thought that I would do a little post about what I’ve learned in my life thus far. I hope you enjoy!

1. First and foremost, life is not about the destination, but the journey. I know this is a cliche, but it’s so so true. In more ways than one. Just trust me.
2. You’re allowed to change your mind. This applies to big and small things. When I was little I thought I would AWAYS love Barney the Dinosaur. My Dad tried to tell me it wouldn’t last. He was right. When I was in high school, I thought I was ALWAYS going to be a theater major. I was wrong. You’re allowed to change your mind.
3. A Bible that is falling apart belongs to a person who isn’t.
4. Never give up on something you truly want. You really can do anything you put your mind to, especially if you want it bad enough.
5.  Perfection is not real. It is not attainable. Not everything will meet your expectations. That’s okay. (See bottom of the article for blooper shots of me with the large “22” balloons, and a lil story about being human!)
6. Reading for fun is a real activity. I have always loved reading, but if you haven’t, give it a try.
7. You should always treat yourself, when you need it. Even if it’s just a .99c face mask. There are some things you can cut back on, or sacrifice altogether, but self care should never be one of them.
8. Loving people is the single most important thing you can do.
9. As much as it pains me, it really does feel better to wake up and enjoy the day rather than to sleep half of it away. Not that that stops me. But it’s something I’ve learned.
10. It’s better to ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission now. (Sorry, Mom!)
11. Music is always going to help. Always. It’s a healer.
12. A bad haircut will grow out eventually. Even when you’re crying on your bed because you “aren’t the same person anymore” now that you have eight less inches of hair. It will. I promise.
13. It will all go by too quickly. All of it. Embrace the moment while you can.
14. Sometimes, $5 wine tastes the same as $20 wine. Because it has to.
15. Resilience is a muscle. You have to exercise it.
16. No one gets it right on the first try. If they do, they’re lying.
17. College may be the best four years of your life. It may not. Either way, that’s okay.
18. It’s okay to cry at Wide Open Spaces. Every single time.
19. Your parents/siblings/cousins/aunts/uncles/grandparents/any other family are SO important! Do not let them go!
20. Law and Order SVU doesn’t get old. Ever.
21. I’m still learning. I will never know everything.
22. Rejoice Always. Through the pain of the night and the joy of the morning. Always.

So, that’s pretty much it. I could go on about so much more, but I’ll just leave it at that. As I said in number five, perfection is not real. Let me tell y’all a quick little story about life. To be completely transparent, when I ordered these balloons online and planned on doing this blog post, I pictured it going a lot differently. I had a lot of inspo pics I was pulling from, I was ready to look “just like the magazines.” However, it never goes that way. Of course, everything that could go wrong did. I paid priority shipping and the balloons still almost didn’t make it in time. Then my photographer cancelled. Then it started POURING rain. I was already dressed and everything. It was a seriously rough moment. I almost wanted to quit. I was like “Screw it. I don’t need to post.” But what the heck?? Just giving up so easily? I would never. Soon the clouds cleared. The sun even came out for a second. And my incredibly wonderful roommate offered to take some pics for me. Everything was going to be okay. However, those balloons are a lot harder to take pics with than they look!! Especially in the post-storm Alabama weather with extra wind! The first batch of photos was so awful, you couldn’t even tell the balloons said “22” in a single photo. I wanted to cry. My sweet, perfect, loving boyfriend said “Just go with it! Call the post “22 Things I’ve Learned in 22 Years that’ll Blow You Away'”. He’s the best. But it did get me thinking, this is life. Just go with it.

In my past 22 years I’ve learned to not care what other people think, to go with the flow, and to love deeply, without reservation. I’m just a human! I can’t be perfect. So why even try? I am happier because of it, and count myself extremely blessed to live the life I do. I am in awe of the incredible people God has placed in my life, and I can’t wait to see what this next year of life has in store!! I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin’ 22!!!!! :))))