20 Things I Learned Before I Turned 20

On June 15th, I'll be turning 20. The thought of not being a teenager anymore makes me feel super weird and kind of old, even though I'm definitely not. My family always said I had an old soul, so it makes sense that I feel like I've experienced way more than others. As I start my last three months of being a teen, I wanted to share some things I learned in my short life that felt like forever.

1. Family is the most important thing in your life.

Whether you're related by blood or not, you will never have another family. I'm blessed to have such a close, tight knit family. It allows us to be more than family, but also friends! I will never have a bond stronger than the one I have with my family.

2. Spend time with yourself.

Sure it's nice to go out and be around other people, but the best, at least for me, is when you can spend time alone, doing things that you like. Self care is super important and the best self care is spending time alone, and learning to love that alone time.

3. Having a lot of friends isn‘t everything, but they definitely do help.

There are times in your life when you can't go to your family for everything, or sometimes when you just want to binge watch some movies and eat pizza. Friends are the best for that, and I'm so grateful for all of mine.

4. Be wary of the people you surround yourself with.

Not everyone you meet is like you and you can't expect them to be. I learned that the hard way, but it taught me some valuable lessons.

5. Reading is the best escape.

For me, nothing is more exciting than a good storyline. There's no better way to change your mind state than getting lost in a book.

6. Wake up early.

Let's be honest, I probably will never be a morning person, but waking up early makes me feel more productive. My favorite advice to give is to wake up earlier. Not too early where you're up before the sun is ( unless that's your thing ), but early enough where you still have time to appreciate the morning. Nothing feels worse than waking up at noon and seeing yourself waste the day.

7. You cannot grow if you're bitter.

That's a tough thing for me to say, but it's true. If you're holding a grudge about something that happened to you months or years ago, how do you expect yourself to become better ??? If you haven't healed from it, you will keep reliving those negative feelings over and over again.

8. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT get comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

I've put myself into situations that I know are wrong, but I can't help myself. and then I did that over and over again. I got to a point where I was so comfortable in being miserable, that I accepted that this was going to be me for the rest of my life. We have the ability to not feel like we're stuck!!

9. You can't fill a cup from an empty well.

Enough said.

10. Be grateful.

It's so easy to get caught up in the little things that make us angry like getting stuck in traffic and our favorite show getting taken off Netflix ( I am 100% guilty of both ). Take some time to really be thankful for what you have in life. You might be surprised at how there's more good in your life than bad.

11. Listening to a great song on a really crummy day is life-changing.

For me, there's nothing a little Justin Bieber can't fix. Medicine heals the body, but music heals the soul. So turn it up!!

12. Go easy on yourself.

I always felt like I wasn't going at the same pace as everyone else. I was confused about college while the others around me seemed so sure. When I failed a test, I cried because the girl next to me got a higher grade than I did. I always wanted to be the best, not only for myself, but for my family too. As I get older, I'm realizing it's totally okay to not be at the same level as those around you. We all go at our own pace, and that's something we have to learn to live with.

13. You're never too old to hang out with your mom.

Mom's are the coolest, and if you know mine, you know she's more of a friend than a mom. One of my perfect days is spent going shopping with my mom then coming home and watching a new show with her. ( Our most recent was The Assassination of Gianni Versace )

14. A really great cup of coffee can fix almost anything.

OK, this one may be a little bit of an exaggeration, but I always feel like I can conquer anything with some coffee in my hand.

15. Tell people how you feel.

Whether it's family or friends, or even that barista who noticed that you ordered an extra shot of espresso this morning, tell someone when you're hurting. Bottling it up inside until you explode does not make you strong, it makes you hurt even more.

16. A sister is your forever partner in crime, whether you like it or not.

Fortunately for me, I LOVE that my sister and I are so close. I couldn't imagine a life without her.

17. Learning is super cool.

I've spent a lot of my life being called a nerd, but I've just always loved learning. Being educated on a little bit of everything in life is one of the best things you can do for yourself. And the cool thing about it is, learning doesn't stop when you finish school. You never stop learning!

18. Stop apologizing for every little thing.

Especially to the people who don't regard your feelings the way that you do theirs

19. Social media will never be the most important thing in your life.

It doesn't matter if you're using it for work purposes, or just to unwind from your outside life. But scrolling through instagram at 11 PM will never be more important than that paper due at 11:59 PM.

20. Time goes by way too fast.

One day, you're sitting on your blue's clue's chair watching TV and eating pastina, and before you know it, you're two years away from graduating college and becoming a real ~adult~. Take the time to pause your fast paced life and really enjoy it. You won't get another one like this.

Welp... that’s me ! Hopefully you could connect to at least one of these!

Thanks for stopping by!

Laters,

Gaby XO