25 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 18

This week I celebrated my 29th birthday. It dawned on me that it has now been more than a decade since I was 18. I began reminiscing about that defining phase in my life and how different that Adriana was. At age 18, I had just graduated from a tiny, private, Christian high school. I was surrounded by friends who all held the same beliefs and opinions I did (more or less). My parents' divorce was still fresh in my heart, and I had just finished months of research on the effects of divorce on children. It helped me realize that my feelings and thoughts were typical, but I had also allowed those statistics to define me. After that summer, I attended a private college where I studied art and Spanish. My environment completely changed. I was surrounded by a diverse group of people with different philosophies and lifestyles. 18 was a defining age, and here I reflect on that tender time to think about what 29-year-old Adriana would have told herself.

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1. Everyone will advocate for the typically expected path: high school, college, marriage, house, kids, ect. Get creative and consider what you would do if there weren't any expectations.

2. Divorce doesn't have to define you, or your ideas of love.

3. Your attempts to solve the puzzle of your parents' divorce will never come to a resolution, and it doesn't have to be solved for you to move on.

4. Take care of your skin. You don't need to be tan that badly. It fades in a month, anyways.

5. You'll be so happy you didn't do the super-thin, over-plucked eyebrow trend.

6. You'll also be happy you don't have a permanent scar from a belly button piercing.

7. College is far more than just getting the degree. Your peers will teach you just as much, if not more, than your classes. They will teach you about different religions, cultures, lifestyles, and points of view. Receive them all like gifts.

8. Stop procrastinating!

9. Nudity is not gross. Neither is sexuality.

10. You will be proud you stuck to your morals. Don't let others convince you otherwise.

11. Don't be judgmental when you see that others don't observe the same morals you do.

12. Listen to your instincts. In the end, they are often right.

13. Be careful who you give second chances to.

14. Be honest even if it might hurt someone.

15. Soon, your definition of art will be obliterated. Be ready.

16. Be bold with your art.

17. There is nothing that will compare to your high school volleyball team or choir experience. You don't have to continue them in college when they prove to be disappointing.

18. Get a Facebook! Myspace will die in 3 years. *But don't forget the password...*

19. Take more photos.

20. Don't put metal in the microwave.

21. Living in the present is wonderful; but also, think forward. Have a general plan. Even if it changes, it's better to have a goal in mind.

22. It is better to trust and be let down than to live life closed-up.

23. Don't make promises you can't keep, or give false hope where there is none.

24. Change is part of life. Learn to let go of what is gone or ready to be finished.

25. Open up to people. You will find beautiful relationships form when you do.

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Thank you so much for reading 25 things I wish I knew when I was 18. This list is very personal, but I hope you found something that will stick with you or stir your thoughts. Consider, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?

Comment below.