If you’re anything like I was in high school, which was 2005-2009, when MTV still had music shows like Total Request Live, which I watched everyday after school when I didn’t have sports practice, and showed music videos from 4am to 9am or something like that. But back to the teenage girl addiction of my favorite reality show ever, The Hills. Not only did I think Lauren Conrad, Lo Bosworth, Whitney Port, and Audrina Patridge were absolutely gorgeous and super envious of their lives living in LA, working at magazines, a record company and whatever Lo did…but Lauren and her friends had the best advice.

Life can be tough at times, I know I’ve gone through my fair share of rough patches and thought the world was ending (dramatic, yes) but if I have learned one thing in my twelve years of dealing with issues, because really what is there to fret about when your 11 years old other then figuring out how to ride your bike without training wheels, life goes on. Those three simple words have helped me get through some of more difficult things I’ve had to go through.

I’m about to reach the big 2-5 and have realized that life decisions don’t get any easier. These decisions are different then the ones I made when I was 16, 18, 20, 21, even 23. In high school, you make the choices that you are probably really stupid but you learn from them. I know that I didn’t believe in curfews, my parents did and of course they set them for me but it was pretty rare that I would be home at that time or at all…. I was quite the rebel in high school and probably gave my parents multiple heart attacks.  I was a good student and played sports so it’s not like I was out getting into really bad mischief and I never got into trouble with the law or anything. Moving onto college when I was actually homesick!! This was when I really started appreciating my parents again. They were so supportive of everything I did, especially when I joined a sorority. I definitely think that you learn and grow the most in college, your first time away from home and your parents. The opportunity to really make those mistakes that you hopefully learn from the first time you make them but it might take a couple more tries.  And that’s okay… I’ve always been a pretty laid back person, my first year of college I didn’t study near as much as I should’ve and I learned a couple years later that’s actually something I should do more of so I don’t have to take that math or economics classes again (seriously devil courses). I also learned that I shouldn’t go to that St. Patrick’s Day party at Zan the night before a test. That one took a couple more tries to figure out. Friends come and go, if you’re a social butterfly like I am then you probably meet people on a daily basis.  I had and still have a great loop of friends that I have met in college and am truly blessed for many of them to be there for me through anything. They help me through many of the things I have to choose between. We make choices everyday and even though they may be small they impact your life.

Life’s tough and sometimes that helmet may not be big enough for some of the decisions that need to be made. I’ve been hurt numerous times and the pain doesn’t get any easier the older I get, probably because we love deeper and dream bigger.   As I’ve gotten older the stress has started to grow which I didn’t think was possible, especially since I don’t have tests to study days/hours for or grades to maintain or part-time jobs that pay less than half of what I make now (seriously, how did I live through college on that! Oh yeah, my wonderful parents helped me. I seriously can never thank them enough). I guess that’s what happens as years go by.  Different day, new opportunity, unfamiliar things to blossom your future.  I’m excited for the opportunities in my life and have learned to not be afraid because everything happens for a reason.