I don’t know about you- but as of yesterday I’m feeling twenty-two. In some ways it feels like this birthday is a year late. I’ve felt this age for a while, or at least the last semester. Still, looking at the number is pretty amazing. I’m now really into my twenties.

Have a learned anything? Surely. This past year has been so busy it would have been impossible not to gain something.

Here is what I learned:

• College really isn’t the best years of your life. Adults say this all the time, in fact, I had a few tell me high school was going to be the best part of my life. It’s just not true. There is so much life ahead of you. It’s getting better.
• Waking up earlier is actually really great. Take it from your local night owl, I started getting up just an hour or two earlier and my day feels a million times longer. It’s simply not the same as adding that hour or two after the sun has gone down.
• That feeling in my gut sometimes lies. I’ve always been big on going with what feels right- and I still am. The problem I’ve come across this year is making up my own gut feelings. When I want something bad enough I can convince myself it’s going to happen, and when it doesn’t it’s pretty soul crushing.

• Buy to keep. I’ve stopped buying brands like Forever21. I still have a few items that are holding on, but most things from that kind of store make it two seasons top. It’s not worth it. A nicer item of clothing can last you five or six years, and will in the end be cheaper than buying that shirt five to six times. Plus- they look nicer. You look more put together, because your clothes are better put together.
• You really should visit your grandparents every chance you get. I forget how when I’m aging some of my favorite people in the world are also aging. If you’re lucky enough to still have your grandparents around, please see them as often as possible.
• Distance doesn’t seperate real friends. This year a lot of my school friends scattered, and it was so hard to deal with! Luckily the ones I was really close to have not disappeared. The world is pretty small, even smaller now that we have all the technology we do. Skype as often as possible, send snail mail, don’t let go.
• Change isn’t as scary as it used to be. Somehow in the past year I’ve stopped being so afraid of change. I mean, don’t get me wrong, in a lot of ways it still terrifies me, but I’ve been introduced to subcatagories of change… improvent and progress.