With spring approaching, I wanted to post something meaningful. I have read so many posts about fellow twenty somethings life experiences that I thought why not share mine?
1. Learning to Love YOU
When I was twenty I came to Washington DC like a million other college students for the unpaid internship deal and interned for a political fundraising firm. I walked into my first lecture and immediately felt intimidated. The person to my right was pre-law at Columbia and the person to my left already had a job lined up for the fall at a lobbying firm. WHAT. It felt right out of the movies, I stumbled into a jungle of college kids that would take me out in a second to get to the top. Questions like: How can I compete with that? What am I going to do with my life? kept popping up in my head and I felt insecure. But as I grew and tackcled new experiences I started to become confident. So what if I didn't graduate from Yale! I had to learn to value what I could bring to the table. I love the fact I am a history nerd and walk funny due to nautral turn out and years of ballet training. I wrote a phenomenal psycho historical analysis on Albert Speer and Josef Goebbels that had to count for something right? I certainly don't have it all figured out but the challenges I faced made me stronger and helped me learn to embrace ME.
2. You NEED a Hobby
I used to laugh at my father for having like ten motorcycles and fifty model airplanes. His response to me was "I've got to have my hobbies!" Yeah ok dad. Now I realize this is allllll too true. While you area young professional you are put in those grueling hours trying to get ahead and are always on the grind. I find peace in blogging and in fashion. They are newer interersts but I like the challenge of developing a them. MMIH in a constant work in progress and is an outlet for me. I never thought of myself as a writer and definitely am not perfect, but I learn something new with each post. I challenge all of you to start something new. Maybe volunteer, take up fishing, who knows?! That new hobby will be something to call your own. Below-fueling my fathers fave hobby.
3. Find that Group of Girlfriends
What would I do without them?! Libby and I once discussed how important it is to have girl time even when married. I love marg nights, sweatpants and a movie or just chatting. You need that group of usually four of five that are your go tos, that you can call day or night. Carrie Bradshaw nailed it when she said your girlfriends are your soulmates.
4. Loving my Marriage
For those of you who know us personally, you know B and I are quite the pair. We appear to be total opposites but in fact we are the best of friends. We have the best time togather and I truly can't picture my life without him. A word of advice for the ladies out there seeking their prince, look for someone you can be YOU with, unfiltered. Someone you fall on the ground laughing with, that willl comfort you when you cry and will stand by you during the hard times that come your way. So cliche, but I found my keeper, when looking for yours make sure you pick your best friend. I especially like the scene in Disney's Frozen when Anna realizes she love Christophe and not the deceiving gallant prince. If you've seen it you get it. If not go watch that movie!
5.The Importance of Family
As a teenager I couldn't wait to leave CT behind. I'd say who wants to live here it is so dull! I didn't take into account then that my family was the most important thing in the world to me. So when I packed up my Uhaul to join my new husband four years ago in DC, I remembered swallowing hard and thinking of all my loved ones. My Uncle Jim told me at Christmas that whenever he knows we are coming to CT he sees that I posit "Going home to CT!" He said does that tell you something? It does. That our home will always be with our families. Even though we love NOVA and the adventure DC is my heart still aches when I can only talk to my parents and sisters on the phone.
