Things I Would Tell My Younger Self

Life is ironic when it comes to time, when you're younger you want to grow up and when you 'grow up' you wish you could be young again. I'm in my thirties, which seems to be a common age in which you reflect a bit on your life. Hind sight being 20/20 there are a few things I would love to tell my younger self:

• Don't put so much emphasis on what others think of you. I was always so concerned about what other people thought of me. I would slightly change who I was depending on who I was spending time with. I wish I would have had the confidence I have now and stood up more for my beliefs.
• Find your girl squad! Find a group of girls who love and accept who you really are. Girls you can laugh and cry with, who support you, and enjoy your company.

• Don't worry so much about boys. This one is interesting since I found my husband in high school. I see too many girls putting their self-worth in what boys think of you. Only give time to members of the opposite sex that respect your boundaries and whom you can be yourself around. The other ones, no matter how cute they are, aren't worth your energy.
• Wear sunscreen for goodness sake! Full disclosure, I'm still working on this but I've made progress since my teenage years. Yes, being tan is nice but you know what's nicer? Not having wrinkles in your thirties.

• Do well enough in school to get into the college you want to go to. This may be common sense to some but it wasn't to me. I didn't think much about college until it was too late. Needless to say, I didn't get into the college of my choice right off the bat.
• Travel! I know this is said frequently but it's so important! This can mean anything from a girls road trip to backpacking across Europe. Traveling allows for many opportunities to learn about yourself and how the world around you functions.

• And most importantly, never, and I do mean never, compromise your integrity or beliefs because you will always regret it. Figure out who you are and have the courage to live it out.

Life truly does get better with age. Time combined with experiences create the opportunity for a great adventure. I'm looking forward to the life lessons the next thirty years will offer.