Okay I’m not an expert at life but I do feel like adulthood not only sneaks up on you, but was entirely different than I would have expected! Life is a roller coaster I’m having a blast riding, but I have learned a few lessons along the way:

1. Credit is important and sometimes difficult to understand. It wouldn’t hurt to see if your bank offers financial advisors. My bank offers a free telephonic service that has helped me over the years.

2. Flattery should hold less weight than it does. Seriously, who cares about if people thinking you’re attractive if the people you’re attracting are not good people?

3. People don’t always want you to win. Beware of who you’re sharing your goals with.

4. Reading is important. Reading will help keep your grammar and writing skills sharp.

5. Exercising is important. Exercising helps you feel good & helps maintain a healthy heart! Find what you like to do. If you don’t like to do it, find a way to make it fun. Walk in the park/on the beach, or find a great app to use. For me, I have enjoyed the service “Tone It Up” for years. They offer on-demand workout classes through their website and app.

6. Learn limits. Consuming alcoholic shots don’t need to be a part of the evening almost ever. You can have so much fun, (and probably more fun) if you skip them.

7. Quality over quantity. Spend money on classy purses and watches that will last and look professional.

8. Get in and stay in touch with spirituality. I wouldn’t be here without God guiding me every step of the way. I could not live this life without Him and His grace.

9. Make memories & capture them. You will never regret taking too many pictures.

10. Friends will come and go. The friends who stay loyal may not be the ones you assumed would. Sometimes, it may be difficult to make friends as well. It’s a hard pill to swallow of adulthood.

11. Student loans accumulate way too much interest. See a professional about your needs, but I pay about 2.5 times my minimum payments in order to stop this insane interest from growing any faster.

12. Don’t overthink clothing sizing. If you’re not a size small at a particular store, be honest with yourself and buy the medium/large/x-large. No one sees the size on your tag.

13. Organize your emails so they filter into folders (aka Flights, Coupons, etc.) I save a lot of money from flight price alerts and sale emails.

14. Read the news. I am a strong advocate for “The Skimm.” It’s a free daily email service that sends a synopsis of what’s going on in the world everyday at 8:30am EST.

15. FAMILY IS EVERYTHING. If you have a good one, be grateful because you’re already ahead in this world if you have that much.

16. Support your loved ones. If you have a significant other, or a best friend, you need to be his or her biggest supporter. If you’re not excited they got into Graduate School or had a really phenomenal workout or you don’t tell them they look great today, who will..? Celebrate all the little victories because what might not be a big deal for you, may have been really important to hem.

17. Get a standard stockpile of cough/cold meds and cleaning supplies as soon as you live on your own. You’ll never want to buy this stuff but you’ll always need it. Don’t put it off.

•NyQuil, DayQuil, Vick’s Vabor rub, ibuprofen, Cough drops, etc.

•Scrubbing Bubbles, Clorox bleach for bathrooms, Windex, Clorox disinfecting wipes, a swiffer, etc.

18. Recycle. Unless you want your grandkids to have to migrate to Mars.

19. Most insecurity is a waste of time. The more you are proud of yourself & own what you like to wear/do/say, the happier you will be.

However…

20. Looks are not everything. Or even something. Looks will fade. You may be attractive now, and age horribly in 10 years. OR you may consider yourself unattractive now (see #18), but you may bloom into the best looking human around. The point: Beauty is fleeting and all in the eye of the beholder. You can never ever bank on being attractive to coast through life. Work hard, educate yourself & contribute something other than physical attributes to society.

21. Prep. Making your meals on a Sunday for the work week literally makes for an extremely productive, healthy, money-saving week.

22. Learn about American history and stay relevant in current events if you plan to travel.

•I wasn’t too familiar with Agent Orange in the Vietnam War and was a little shocked when visiting Vietnam, learning about people living there with disabilities because of the American actions.

•Be honest with me while reading this…what do you know about the history of the country of Kosovo and the American influence? See what I mean?

•Other people or places I’ve met have talked about both positive & negative influences America has had and it’s good to have a general knowledge & understanding in order to contribute intelligently about your home country.

23. Keep your car tidy. My mom always told me to take as much trash as you can out of the car every time you leave it, otherwise it’ll accumulate. I’ve learned this is sometimes hard to remember.

24. Stop trying to conform.

When I was 14-17, I wore a lot of bright colors & patterns, but I wouldn’t anything unless it had a noticeable brand emblem of Hollister, Abercrombie, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, etc etc. When I was 20-23, I wore a lot of neutrals. I think I thought it was more mature.

Now, I’m drawn to colorful clothing like I was when I was younger. I feel like I was on a conformist pendulum and I’ve just balanced back to myself now.

25. Tact. Never be afraid to ask questions, however, think before you open your mouth.

AND ONE BONUS:

Enjoy life and don’t take it too seriously! I will always say that I am happiest when I am doing what feels right & natural to me. I have gone against the curve and against the advice of others on many things that performed well in my life. Don’t strain yourself worrying or thinking so forward that you forget to live.

I hope you enjoyed reading! I am so thankful for these first 25 years and I’m looking forward to the future with joy & hopefulness!