Things I Learned My Sophomore Year, Part One

I did a lot of self-reflection this past year of school, and I feel I learned a lot about myself. To avoid losing your attention by making the list too long, here is part one of my discoveries. Check back tomorrow for part two!

1. It’s okay to feel how you feel without knowing why you feel it. If you can be happy for no reason, it’s okay to be sad for no reason too. Emotions are too powerful to be rationalized, so don’t try.

2. You choose who you’re friends with. You don’t have to be friends with someone just because you have class with them or because they live near you, or even because you've just always been friends. If they don’t inspire you or make you a better person, why bother?

3. Always welcome real talk from people, no matter how well you know them. If someone you don’t know super well feels comfortable telling you personal things, you should welcome it and take the opportunity to deepen your friendship with them. Plus, you can gain a new perspective and learn something.

4. Doing things on your own is sometimes better than in a group. Wandering on your own and experiencing things in solitude can be a lot better than doing things with others and having to keep up with the conversation of the group. Alone time rocks.

5. You can never get bored if you talk to your brain. If you allow your brain to speak to you and you observe things or talk out loud to yourself or just sit and doodle for hours, you can never be truly bored. Your brain and a pen and paper is all you need to keep yourself occupied.

#FannyPackFriday

6. If you are your authentically strange self, people will be excited about it. If you declare every Friday to be Fanny Pack Friday and you forget to wear a fanny one week, people will miss the fanny and encourage you to continue next week. Also, if you and your friend wear onesies to a party, you’ll make so many new friends. *Note: these are both known from real-life experience. 

7. I don’t like being comfortable. I’ve discovered that I thrive and feel more inspired and excited about life when I’m not doing the same thing over and over every day. Being in an environment where each encounter you have with someone varies drastically, and you can change the course of your day at the drop of a hat makes me excited. I’m an art major for goodness sake; nothing is comfortable or secure about that.

8. Coffee is actually really great, and so is tea. Few things are quite as comforting as a slightly caffeinated warm beverage.

9. Everyone else will freak out a lot more over you not shaving your legs than you will. If you want to go four months during the wintertime without shaving your legs, then by golly you should do it. Ignore the haters who will tell you you’re “gross,” or “look like a man,” or “really need to go shave.” Yeah right, nobody needs to shave.

Check back tomorrow for numbers 10-17. OOOH THE SUSPENSE!