Turning 20

Oh what a crazy few days it has been. Thursday was my 20th birthday and I am officially out of my teens! I think this is bringing me a whole range of crazy emotions that I don't even really know how to put into words, but I will try nonetheless.

I've been an adult for two whole years already since I turned 18 BUT I was still a 'teenager' so I don't really know if it counted. I still felt young and like I could get away with anything. You're still referred to as a teenager and it sounds so much younger.

Lots of things become irrelevant to you once you turn 20. Silly little things like deciding when you want to be a 'kid' or an 'adult'. Belting out Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus just really doesn't have the same effect anymore, because with those sweet lyrics "I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby", yeah they just aren't true anymore...

So here I thought to end this simple post, I would leave you all with 20 things I have learnt by the time I turned 20. Who knows, my views on absolutely everything could change within another few years- but for now, here is what I know.

1. Not everyone is going to care about your birthday as you get older as much as you do- yes that means you won't receive presents from everyone anymore, sigh.
2. Quality over quantity- it really doesn't matter if you have 4 friends. If they are good friends, never let them go. It's better to have 4 fabulous friends than 40 fucking shitty acquaintances who don't care about you when you need it
3. Time heals most wounds- note, I say MOST
4. Holding grudges is NOT worth your time- who cares if that one girl did something bad to you 3 years ago, there's no point holding a grudge because you are better than that. *does not mean you have to forgive, but just move on with your damn life*
5. Criticism means you're doing something right- (unless it's constructive criticism about work/uni etc.) just ignore it. People who criticise the way you live your life should have no impact on you
6. There is beauty in everything around you, you just have to look for it 
7. Not everyone is meant to be your friend- again with the friends. There is no point trying to make everyone you meet your friend- some people are just not going to like you or even want to be your friend and that is completely okay, just acknowledge this and move on (refer to #2)
8. There is no point dwelling on the past- what's done is done. Learn from mistakes and acknowledge accomplishments and move on
9. You don't have to have your life figured out by the time you're 20- if you do, thats great! If not, who cares! We are so young we have a lifetime to figure out what we want and who we want to be. That's the point of life! To grow and discover ourselves and become who we want.
10. If you aren't loving what you're doing, change it- best time ever to make changes, in your 20's. Started a career you don't love? Change it. Discover yourself, explore, travel the world. Do whatever makes you happy. 
11. Dieting is stupid. It's all about maintaining a lifestyle
12. Making mistakes is okay
13. Materialistic things will only make you so happy- there's more to life than having the newest phone (seems basic but sometimes you need to remember this)
14. Exploring is always a good idea
15. Drinking plenty of water each day is also a good idea
16. Wearing sunscreen (and not burning to a crisp) is definitely always a good idea- no one likes premature wrinkles and rough sunburnt skin (or skin cancer)
17. Love yourself before you love someone else and you will feel so much better about yourself- I've learnt this over the years. When I was younger I barely loved myself and it was really hard to be happy and in love with someone else all the time because I never really felt complete. Once I learnt to love myself, loving someone else was so much easier and I feel whole and complete
18. Admit it when you're wrong- it helps you learn and grow
19. Don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd and be noticed- it's not always going to be a bad thing
20. Finding at least one small thing every day that you are thankful for or happy about will always remind you life is good (even on the bad days)

So there you have it. Turning 20.
Thanks for reading,
Kristelle xxx
Instagram: @krristelley