30 Things I Would Tell My 20 Year Old Self

In honor of turning thirty this week, I decided to craft a list of thirty things I would tell my twenty year old self. 

I’ve been reflecting on this past decade and on turning 30 for quite some time now. In truth, I’ve been brainstorming & creating this list for a good part of the last six months. To me, it is a beautiful summary of lessons learned, memories made, and bits & pieces of the woman I've become over the last decade. I am so proud of who I am and how far I've come over the past ten years, and I think my twenty year old self would be too. 

Baby G - it will be more beautiful than you could ever imagine. Xx. 

1. If you have even the slightest bit of doubt, leave. It will save you a boatload of heartbreak. 
2. If it comes down to the city vs. the boy. The city wins every single time. 
3. Get on the plane and fly to Hawaii for that guy. It might not amount to forever, but he will forever be a glowing example of a stand up guy. You will always look back and be proud you went.
4. Your career does not have to be your passion. 
5. Friends will come & go. They do not have to be in your life forever for it to have been a meaningful & real connection. 
6. Men will also come and go. Learn to relax your grip & let go when you realize it’s not meant to last a lifetime. 
7. Go to therapy. And don’t wait till you’re 29 to do it.
8. You will never regret going to a concert. 
9. Talk to the stranger at that Bluemercury event. Little do you know she will become one of your dearest friends. 
10. Soak in all the sweet time living with roommates. It will be magical and short lived - enjoy it while it lasts.  
11. Your best friend of 11 years will break your heart in ways you never thought possible. You will think you can’t survive the pain, but you will. 
12. See above. That friendship will be one of the most important & meaningful to you. Love them with your entire being while you can. It will not last forever. 
13. Running the NYC Marathon will be the best day of your life. Savor every single second. 
14. You’re allowed to change your mind. Again. And again. And again. 
15. Embrace a ‘fuck it’ attitude when it comes down to embracing a life well lived. 
16. Listen to your gut. In the next ten years it will never be wrong. Not once. 
17. Book the trip three weeks out!! Always. 
18. Spend the summers of your mid to late twenties with your parents in Connecticut. It will become some of your most cherished time together. 
19. As the years go by you will realize some of your happiest moments have been the wins/highs of the ones you love. The wins of your friends & family are your wins. 
20. It is the little things that spark joy that make for a happy life. 
21. Driving away from college after graduation will feel like the end of the world, little do you know it’s only just the beginning. 
22. You will not get married in this decade & it will be the best possible thing that could happen to you. Getting married in your twenties is overrated anyways.
23. Great love is coming. 
24. Water meets its own level. Meaning, people end up with the people they deserve, for better or for worse. Let this give you comfort. 
25. Moving to New York City will be the best decision you ever make. Living there will bring you infinite happiness.
26. The ability to do things on your own will be one of your biggest strengths. Do not take your independence for granted.
27. Learn to give yourself grace. 
28. If you get the chance to study abroad, do it. If not, don't stress. You will get the opportunity to travel around Europe for 30 days with forty strangers. That trip will forever change you in the best possible way. 
29. Some people enter your life for brief, fleeting moments. Beautiful connections don't have to last a lifetime. 
30. It will be more beautiful than you could ever imagine. 

xo. G