10 Things I Wish I Could Tell My 16 Year-Old Self

I was told at a young age that I would "grow up fast". I never understood what that meant considering time doesn't go faster for anyone.

Now being 22, I'm starting to understand.

I'll be going on 23 in two months and to some that may still be very young, but it's not that I'm complaining that I'm "old", I'm merely complaining that I'm growing up too fast. Which amazes me because my days at work seem to go by slower than a snail crossing a crosswalk and the pace of the weekends, well I seem to blink and they're over.

Nonetheless, thinking about growing up isn't any more scary than it is exciting. I just wish I could have told myself somethings when I was younger. Just like I bet I'll be saying at 35 "Boy I wish I could of told my 22 year-old self this"...

So here are the 10 things I wish I could have told my 16 year-old self.

1. Ask your parents for advice. They may not be your best friends right now but they will be in the future so take advantage of that relationship and the experience they have. They do know best.

2. That fight you just had with your best friend during lunch over not being on her top 8 or in her AIM profile list of 'best friends' will be pretty irrelevant once you start using Facebook and Twitter.

 

3. Stop crying over the love of your life because he is ignoring you on a Friday night when he's been cheating on you for the past year. You'll end up with someone ten times better, I promise.

4. Enjoy those cafeteria chocolate chip cookies because when you graduate high school no cookie will ever compare.

5. Save $5 dollars a week. You don't have any bills to pay and you don't need any more Von Dutch hats. There should be no reason why you're not saving.

6. Stop mixing beer, jungle juice and whiskey at house parties. You look like a sloppy mess, and your hangovers will only get worse. Vodka-clubs are delicious, healthy, and make you hangover free! It took me till 21 to figure that one out....

7. The popular crew in high school will most likely not be "popular" once their high school years are over. Just because everyone knows their names doesn't not mean they have it all. Once they get out into the real world a lot will change for them, and probably for the worst.

 8. Hanging out with Seniors as a Freshman will, I repeat, will get you in trouble. Mom is right...

9. You do not need to stress about your grades, your future college or what you want to do when you grow up. It will all come together, and you'll end up where you belong.

10. Enjoy everything. Stop saying you "hate" high school. It won't be any better than college but it will be a lot less stressful. Unfortunately you don't get a do-over so make the best of it.