Twenty-four.

I turned 24 a couple of weeks ago and wanted to cap off 23 in the cheesiest way I know how. I was able to go down to D.C. and convinced my mother to bust out the long forgotten fondue pot from our childhood- to this day there are few things better than a large vat of melted cheese for a meal. This year was a huge period of growth and a lot of life lessons. Here are some of the things that carried me through the past 12 months, and I hope you can find some humor or entertainment from them as well.  {Image}

1. Be on time- you never know what could happen and being early is ideal. Whether intended or not, being late means telling the person that you do not care (and if you are going to be late, let them know as soon as possible). 

2. Dog parks are the happiest, purest places in the world. 

3. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but there should always be a level of respect. Additionally, look people in the eye who take your coffee orders. Thank cleaning staff. Know the name of your company’s doormen/doorwomen and mail attendant. 

4. Dresses are god’s gift to humanity- you always look good and essentially are wearing a glorified sack.

5. Never. Stop. Learning. Ever. You should always have an answer to “what is the last book you read?”

6. Take note of the people in your life who are always there when things hit the fan. They are your biggest cheerleaders and will be there through the peaks and pits. 

7. The communities that were made for you in childhood by your parents and at school take a lot of time and effort to create post grad. 

8. One of the most mature things you can do as an adult is own your mistakes, apologize and offer a solution to make things better. 

9. Often when things don't work out, it's the universe pushing you to where you're supposed to be.  

10. Be the person who makes others feel important. Listen when others are talking (still working on this one!). 

11. There will be a lot of relationships that fade out or do not transition to the real world, and that’s ok. It’s no one’s fault, but rather a part of life. However, there is nothing wrong with sending a quick text or DM to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Grandparents are one of the most wonderful gifts in the world- spend as much time as possible with them. 

12. Humor and humility will carry you through every difficult situation in life. 

13. Be generous, whenever you can. 

14. Twenty-two feels really old right out of college, but to the rest of the world, you’re still ridiculously young. However, older generations should still respect you, regardless of your age. Millennials often get a bad rap, and people who use this generation as a scapegoat are often just salty. 

15. AirPods are one of the best inventions of the decade. 

16. Learn a couple great signature recipes- ie: roast chicken, meatballs, an amazing summer dessert.

17. Communication will make or break every relationship in your life. 

18. There is nothing wrong with tuning out the world and getting sucked into a show like The Bachelor- life doesn’t always have to be so serious. 

19. Write every day- even if it’s a brief journal entry. 

20. Showers can be the most creative space- we need to fight the company trying to put TV’s in shower curtains!

21. You eat an elephant one bite at a time- when things get overwhelming, break down the task into little things. Recognize when you are spiraling and get outside. Take a walk. 

22. It’s 9838130928301 times easier to clean a little every day than let it pile up and become a dreaded endeavor. 

23. Find your style and clothes that look good and get them in every color. Quality over quantity comes into play here (especially with limited city apartment storage and closet space). 

24. New York rent is a large chunk of your salary, so take advantage of every opportunity. Applying for Broadway lotteries (you are luckier than you think you are), attending tapings and sitting in interviews will make things a little less painful when the first of the month comes around.