26 THINGS I'VE LEARNED IN 26 YEARS

I'VE LEARNED A THING OR TWO...

26 years on this Earth is far from a world record and for many of us our lives are just beginning. The truth is that I don't have much advice to give. I've made plenty of mistakes and errors in recent years that have made me feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing in life. However, I think it's the mistakes in life that provide us with insight worth sharing with others. If there's anything I hate it's perfection. I don't think anyone has grown from a perfect life that has no bruises, scars, or blemishes. In my last six years I've gone through two of my mom's divorces, two close friend suicides, two of my own long term relationship breakups, moving from Austin to NYC to San Antonio to Chicago, 8+ apartments, multiple jobs/internships, starting my own photography business, and visiting multiple cities/states/countries. It's been a journey. Through that journey I've learned & witnessed a lot. Here are just a few of many great tips, lessons, & words of wisdom I'm accumulated:

26 THINGS I'VE LEARNED...

1. Traveling has been the best investment I’ve ever made for my life 
2. AirBNB is revolutionary but sometimes booking a nice hotel, ordering room service, and lounging in a comfy hotel bed is the cure to everything 
3. People do actually change - just usually for the worst 
4. Social media isn’t the reason so many of us are depressed. In fact, my close friends that committed suicide hardly (if ever) even used it. I think it’s the lack of trust & admiration we have in our own choices & decisions that are leaving us with this gaping hole
5. On the topic of social media, save your money from starting that blog (LOL @myself) & pursuing Instafame. Instead try to make a life in this real world we all live in every day - no matter how small or big you want that to be
6. Most people do not take opportunities. I once offered a free vacation on FB and only 2 people seriously inquired about it out of 800 friends. I once got accepted for an internship I knew nothing about because I sent the interviewer a thank you card. Take the opportunities & go the extra mile(actually just go the extra 2 feet - I promise few will even show up for the race)
7. Love shouldn’t be hard. It should be the easiest thing you do. Don’t be with someone who makes love feel hard 
8. Also, don’t be with someone who makes you feel like your needs & wants don’t matter
9. It’s ok to be real & emotional. I think people admire those traits because so few people actually are. It might mean you’re more vulnerable but so be it 
10. Just because you’ve never experienced something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Think/act wisely 
11. Don’t save the fancy things for a special occasion 
12. Always buy an automatic trash can, litter box, soap dispenser, etc. (Just trust me on this, the extra few dollars are worth it)
13. Be with the person who makes you into a better person 
14. That co-worker you hate, that person you’re jealous of, or that neighbor who gets on your last nerve will probably become a freelance blogger and relocate to LA in a year or two to sell fit tea. What I’m saying is, almost no one is going to be in your life forever so act accordingly
15. Don’t let people define you or your actions
16. It’s ok to be young & a bit reckless & to make crazy choices but try not to do anything your older self will have to pay (substantially) for
17. There are 7 continents, 50 states, 195 countries, & literally thousands of  cities. Why would you EVER live some place you less than love? 
18. I’ve bought designer heels, I’ve stayed in 5 star hotels, heck I once lived in a nearly million dollar condo in Chicago with a marble entranceway and mahogany wood library. & I used to think about drowning myself in the master suite bathtub while I cried on the Victorian dining room rug. So money truly doesn’t buy happiness. Or maybe it does. But you have to have self-confidence, a healthy support system, and a full heart first
19. If someone tells you something you like/love is a waste of time or “basic” then cut them out of your life immediately 
20. Surround yourself with people who make you genuinely laugh (& often)
21. Don’t take things so personally, people tend to only care about their own life anyways 
22. Age is truly just a number. Some people experience more pain & life lessons in their first few decades on this Earth than some will their entire life. I’ve dated 30 & 40 year olds who didn’t even know how to do their own laundry let alone be emotionally mature enough for a serious relationship. Don’t let age limit or stop you & don’t define someone by their age no matter how old or young they are
23. Don’t waste your time & energy on people who won’t even give you a second of theirs. Phones, trains, planes, roads & Instagram DMs all go two ways
24. It’s great to be informed & it’s great to be connected but it’s even better to act in your own community. What I’m saying is for the love of God don’t share that political post on Facebook 
25. Surround yourself with art that makes you feel something 
26. Every day, year, decade, and experience will change you for the better or worst. & with each change your mindset will shift. So in the next 26 years this list might be useless, outdated, absurd, debatable. But for now, it is a collection of life advice I’ve accumulated from years of traveling, living in different cities, meeting new people, working, laughing, suffering, growing, making mistakes, and trying new adventures. I don’t think life comes with a “one size fits all” manual. For now, this is mine