08:28
This was the time when I had just woken up, still half asleep, accompanied by the strange feeling of something being different. Trying to crank up my brain, I went through my mind's Google calendar with its to-do lists.
Right, so it's my day off from college today. Is there anything I need to get done before... - and then it hit me.
Holy sh*t. I'm 18.
To be completely honest, I'm a little unsure if the thought terrified or liberated me. On one hand, having more responsibility is pretty much connected to having more opportunities as well (hello future employers), and a feeling of euphoria rushed through my body thinking about it. On the other hand, I was close to the beginning of the usual train of thought regarding existential life crises, considering that the oh so important number 18 reminded me of who I thought or hoped I was going to be when I was little.
However, since I just turned 18, I figured I would use the occasion to act like an adult and share with you 18 things I've learned so far.
1. There are no good or bad people, only different opinions on what's right and wrong, which leads me to
2. There is no universal right or wrong
3. The amount of friends you have does not define how cool or interesting you are, and besides
4. I have no idea how to be cool, and that's totally fine
5. Your future doesn't depend on your grades and school as much as what you do besides school
6. Don't expect anyone to read your mind, just tell them
7. No one is boring; everyone's got something to tell, you just have to learn to listen more
8. Never apologize for having fun (unless you find killing people fun, then you should probably go and see a therapist)
9. Don't take life or yourself too seriously (sincerely, Tumblr, Facebook and Weheartit altogether)
10. Always consider the possibility of being wrong
11. Things are weirder than you think when you see them from another perspective
12. Even though I might feel quite intelligent sometimes, Jon Snow isn't the only who knows nothing
13. You're surrounded by opportunities all the time, but don't expect anyone else to grab them for you
14. It's ok to be a little impulsive to find out what you really want
15. You can't possibly be the best version of yourself 100% of the time, and as long as you accept that, that's totally fine
16. Even failure and rejection can teach you a thing or two, so don't be afraid of trying
17. Everyone has another perception of who you are, and the world we're living in, so don't expect anyone to act, think and be the same
18. No one ever really grows up
Just to make one thing clear- no, I do not believe that I suddenly turned into Albus Dumbledore just because my ID tells me I'm mature now. But when I had a meal with Silvia, Lucy, Johanna and Anna in our beloved Greek bistro in Cambridge on Saturday, our conversations reminded me of how much I enjoy spending time sharing thoughts, ideas and yes, maybe a little life wisdom with others.
Sitting there and just talking passionately was exactly what I needed after we stood in the queue to heaven for about an hour, just to get to Cambridge's Weigh and Pay vintage market. Who would've thought that it would only take this little to get me into a church again? Besides the fact that it was in a church, there were masses of people, some pretending like this was NY's Fashion Week-hipster edition, in addition to an endless amount of vintage clothes and accessoires- just what the only temporarily rich fashionista inside of me desired.
A perfect portrayal of me being exhausted, relieved and quite satisfied at the same time, holding my bag of vintage treasures.
The next days and weeks will be dedicated to working on three assignments for college (because yes, that's actually something I do too, besides all the crazy fun I have), lots of tea and the usual café visits with friends that will probably be presented in my life gallery, also known as Instagram (there's nothing wrong with a little self-promo from time to time heh).
I hope you are all doing fine, talk to you in a bit. x