2018 was approximately a week long, but here we are, ready to get the year wrong on our papers for the next 2 months until we adjust to the reality of 2019.

This year was an wild year for me – I went through job changes, a Superbowl win, my first full year in a relationship, highs and lows in my mental health, lots of travel, and much more.

Here’s what I learned in 2018:

• You are supposed to brush your teeth 2x a day: Until this year I had never brushed my teeth in the morning. I thought everyone else was lying to their dentists and just popping mints in the morning. It wasn’t until my boyfriend acted like skipping morning brushing was akin to committing a felony, that I realized there might be a correlation between only brushing my teeth at night and having a million cavity fillings and dental crowns. I am now brushing my teeth in the mornings and hope to soon re-enter society as an acceptable hygienic member.
• The hardest times can bring the best results: I’ll get into this is a later post, but this year I went through a lengthy period of unemployment. It turns out doing nothing but sitting alone in your apartment and applying for jobs all day gets REALLY boring and mentally taxing. I was down, to say the least. But having that time off gave me time to travel, and time to realize what I really wanted to do with my career. A few months ago I started a job I absolutely love, and I could not be happier or more grateful for the time of transition that led me there.
• Relationships take work: I knew this from a fundamental level, but it’s so true. I’m over a year into my only serious relationship and it is so good. But that’s because we’ve put a lot of work into it. We’ve built such a good foundation by talking about everything, being honest and transparent with each other, and always, always being kind first. Relationships are the one place I don’t think you can ever slack off!
• Windshield wipers are supposed to be replaced every 6 months: I’ve had my car for 6 years. I don’t think I have ever replaced them. They are currently making a very loud MRAWR sound every time they swipe. I’m probably still not going to replace them, but it’s nice to learn that I should.
• If you have a good friendship, hold on tight: Post-college life has really taught me how hard it is to make friends. I have felt profound, deep, cutting loneliness this year in a way I can’t even put into words. The close friendships I made in college are long-distance and take work to maintain, but they are so worth it.
• Trust your people: This year I opened up to my family about my mental health struggles, which I had been keeping a secret from them for YEARS. I am super close with my family, but this brought us even closer. I can’t believe how supportive they’ve been, and I wish I’d been honest with them ages ago – they could’ve helped me out so much sooner if only I’d trusted them sooner!
• I don’t really need to spend money on clothes: I work in a casual office environment. That means I can wear whatever I want, whenever I want. I’m talking leggings, t-shirts, and baseball hats. This has allowed me to only have to look presentable on the weekends, which means I basically shop for clothes…never. (Even though I sometimes really want to). What a blessing.
• Life is a highway, I want to ride it all night long: Overall, 2018 taught me that life has ups and downs, but neither are permanent. The bad times will pass, the good times might too, but they’ll be back again if you just keep riding along.

Cheers to 2019!