Things I Wish I Knew At 18

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”

-Unknown

Man do I ever wish I could go back and live my high-school story just one more time. Not because I want to change who I am, but I would appreciate those moments of mini-adulthood where the bills didn't have my name on them. (Well, other than my cellphone bill).

I'd take more opportunities, study harder, get diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety much sooner, spend more time with my friends, and most of all, save dating for later in life.

High-school can be some of the best, most traumatic years of your life. At the time, everything feels so permanent, that life isn't ever going to get better than this but yet things felt so serious. A bad grade meant life or death. A fight with a friend was the end of the world. A bad break-up made you afraid to go to school because you knew everyone would be talking about it.

Would I go back in time and give my 18-year-old self a lecture? The simple answer is, yes I most certainly would.

If I could go back in time, this is the advice that I would give to my past self.

1. Don't stress so much about post-secondary schooling. The world in this climate makes you believe you need to have every part of your adult life mapped out at 18-years old. You don't even know who you are as a person yet. You don't need to plan on meeting your future husband at marine biology school down in California and plan to get married at 25-years old, before settling down with babies at 28-years old. First of all girl, forget that dream right now. You're going to want to work for a few years to try and get ahead while you can before shelling out all your hard-earned cash to the government for school. Life isn't a race, and there isn't a "right" way or a "wrong" way to live your life. Just go with the ebbs and flows of life and you'll be brought where you need to go.

2. People come and go with the seasons in their lives. Embrace the changes, and don't cling too much to the past. Unfortunately, people are allowed to make their minds up about you. After high-school, everyone goes their separate ways and starts to build their own little lives. That's okay, as we are all on different timelines in life. Some friendships fade, not because anyone did anything wrong, or due to lack of love in the friendship. But sometimes, friendships fade all on their own and in their own time. Sometimes you truly find out you were only friends because you were sitting next to each other five-days a week for four years. The right people find you in life and stay. Trust me there.

3. Like my mother always said back in those days, respect yourself. You own your worth. Not your teachers, not your friends, not your parents, not any of your romantic relationships. You do. You own your life and it's up to you on how you decide to live it. And take it from me, you're going to want to live it to the fullest. You are the creator of your own story. Yes, you may not always be able to control what happens in life but the choices are yours to make, not someone else's.

4. That failed relationship back then? Yeah that SAVED YOUR LIFE YOU DUMBASS. Sorry to be blunt, but really and truly, you don't know what love is at 18-years old. Just because he's serenading you with a guitar Chloe, doesn't make it true love. You're confusing codependency with love. Don't sacrifice your friendships, your dreams, your independence, or your hard earned self-respect over a guy that won't even matter ten years from now. Heartbreak isn't the end of your story, sometimes it can be the beginning of a much better one.

5. Take more pictures. As people drift apart, you'll find that one day all you'll have left of some people is the memories you share, and the pictures that you have of them. You'll never regret taking too many photos in life, but one day you may regret not having enough of them.

In summary, life always has it's own way of working itself out. Even if you feel like you're on the wrong path right now, chances are life is leading you into a whole new version of yourself.

So, while you're still in high-school or freshly graduated, laugh with your friends a little louder. Go out for coffee with them more. Tell them that you love them. This season of your life is only temporary, so you may as well enjoy it while you're still young and care-free.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Chloe Unfiltered