15 Important Lessons I’ve Learned By Age 27

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1. Your early 20s are a hot mess, and if they’re not, you’ll likely regret it later on. Just embrace it.

2. Don’t buy a condo. CONDO FEES. And re: condos. Nobody cares that you’re thinking of buying a condo.

3. Travel. Go anywhere, go everywhere. Do it before life gets in the way, or do it precisely because life got in the way… not having a reason is reason enough to go travel.

4. But do not get drunk before you have to catch a flight. Don’t. Ever. It’s nowhere near as fun or easy as you think it will be the night before. Puking in a paper bag as you faint in your aisle seat next to a toddler and his reproachful mom is not glam (or, um, so I hear, whatever).

5. When people at work are mean to you, it’s 99% of the time not about you. They’re projecting. Unless you did something really stupid. Then it’s 100% about you.

6. Don’t cry in your place of work. Cry at home or at the bus stop or while you’re taking a shit. Let it all out. But not at work (…unless you work from home).

7. Lose your temper sparingly. People will be more likely to listen to you.

8. Before you call someone a coward, be sure it’s not because you’re scared that you yourself did something cowardly.

9. When you love, love with abandon. It all ends in torment anyway, but at least you will not have lived in half-measures.

10. And about love: good luck trying to push it away to save yourself. It always comes back.

11. Being miserable is such a delicious comfort. But just be careful how comfortable you allow yourself to get.

12. Every single decision you make is at once the most insignificant thing you’ve ever done, and the most meaningful. You’re in charge of deciding where it stands.

13. Freedom is perhaps the most precious thing you have. But remember that it is a selfish pursuit, and oftentimes a lonely one.

14. The problem with carpe diem is that it’s very impractical. Sometimes you just want to watch funny videos of cats and people falling.

15. And finally, when all else fails, laugh. Particularly when it’s not funny.