Today I turn 26! Wow I feel old! It seems crazy to me that I’m ACTUALLY 26. I am officially closer to 30 than 20! I can remember when I was little seeing young women in their mid-late twenties and thinking they look so old! Well, maybe old isn’t the right word – she looked stable, mature, successful – all the things that come with age. Now that I am that very same age, I’m not sure I’m where I thought I’d be in life as a 13-year-old staring up at someone double my age and imagining my own future, but I am pretty proud of my journey thus far. Here are my hopes for my 26th trip around the sun.
#1: Live life on my timeline.
I definitely don’t think I’m old. On the contrary. I feel like I’m so young, and that there is so much more life ahead to be lived. I see people all over my social media hitting new milestones, getting engaged, having babies, everything. Sometimes it is super easy to play the compare game. But I am on my own journey and those things will fall into place when it is time. I am done putting pressure on myself to follow a certain timeline.
#2: Keep doing me, for me.
To be completely honest, I love that my one and only priority right now is ME. What I want, what is best for me, what I can potentially benefit from. There will be decades upon decades where this is not the case, and I think I need to enjoy the selfish years as well as I can to prep myself for the times where I will always come second, whether that be to a husband, kids or even just a dog.
I am always on the go, spontaneously making plans, booking flights, etc. One day, I think having a more “settled” life will be great, but for now, it is not conducive to my job or my personal interests. I am in a weird limbo moving back home, so the future has a lot of unknowns for me right now.
#3: Accept (and learn from) the past.
There is no use crying over spilled milk, and what has occurred in the past is over and done with. Dwelling on it and wishing things could have been different is an inefficient use of time and emotions – all I can do is continue to take lessons from the things that have happened to me and ensure things happen differently in the future.
#4: Get back out there.
Dating is hard. Dating during a pandemic is even harder. I have high standards for myself and for the next man that will be welcomed into my life. Slowly putting myself out there is hard because it is something I haven’t had to do in quite a long time. I am guarded and my walls are high, but you might have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your Prince Charming.
#5: Elevate my blog.
Basicallyb is really starting to pick up, and it’s crazy to me to look back on the journey my little blog has taken me on. I hope that I continue to improve it, grow it, and tailor it to my audience.
#6: Care less about what others think.
Your life isn’t yours if you constantly care about what others think. Considering that a large part of my life involves social media, even when you know that only your opinion of yourself matters, it’s hard to not let the negative comments get to you. With social media, everyone has an opinion, and they can share it with you through the safety of a keyboard. I am finally getting to a place where I a completely unapologetically myself. I know I will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they don’t have to take a sip if they don’t like it.
#7: Just keep swimming!
Life is hard. This pandemic is hard. Heck, this world is hard. There is so much hate and anger out there! Obstacles are sure to arise out of all that negative energy. The important thing is to keep going and spreading my light. I know that there are major obstacles ahead, and I can only hope that in the words of Dory, I just keep swimming, and keep going even on the hard days.
#8: Make new friends.
This may sound kind of silly, but moving back home after what you thought your life was going to look like didn’t work out is hard. I cut a lot of ties from people in my hometown. To be honest, I have been really lonely. Making friends as an adult is hard. It’s not like kindergarten where you just start a random conversation with the girl next to you about silly things. I am challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and reach out to people and try to make new friends!
#9: Check in on my friends.
With that, I cannot forget about my current friends! If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that even those people who appear to have it all together can be hurting inside. I want to be more intentional with my time with my friends, even those not in Chicago, to make sure everyone is doing well and knows that there is a support system if they need it. A lot of my friends are long distance, and that check in is crucial to stay connected.
#10: Try something new every week.
Whether it be an activity, restaurant, coffee shop, anything. I want to broaden my horizon and really experience everything around me. You never know what hidden gems are around. For example, I found this amazing empanada shop down the street, and I have ordered 3 times from it (thanks Grubhub meal perks!). But if I didn’t just go and try it, I may have driven by it time and time again without experiencing it.
#11: Save, save, invest, and save.
Not going to lie, my last relationship had caused me to move home with next to nothing in my bank account. It was sad that I let someone control that much of my life, but just another lesson I had to learn. Now that I have new job, I really hope that in this year, I continue to save and invest not only for short-term expenses like flights and furniture, but for retirement and potentially buying a house one day.
#12: Travel often.
I am fully vaccinated, and I am hoping we can get back to traveling this year. I want to continue traveling as much as possible! We never know what tomorrow holds, and while I am able to have these amazing opportunities to hop on a plane, I need to take them. Some destinations I would love to visit in my 26th year: Austin, Nashville, Maine, Spain, Thailand, and Egypt – just to name a few! I would travel around the entire world if I could.
#13: Don’t forget where I came from.
I have such a complicated relationship with my hometown. On one hand, I’m like everyone else in the state of Illinois and itching to get out at any chance they can. On the other, I grew up here, my family is here, and my roots are here. Even though I was “forced” to move back home, it has given me a new perspective on my hometown. I hope that my relationship with my hometown continues to evolve as we both reinvent ourselves this year. Maybe we’ll become closer. Maybe I’ll realize we aren’t a good fit. Either way, I’m from Illinois and I’m proud of it.
#14: Be mindful of my position to influence younger girls.
Recently, one of my favorite bloggers let me down. She posted a before and after of a shot she took. I was expecting to see some cool filters and color edits, but what I saw was a photoshop job to her waist and legs. It really struck a nerve with me and then clicked for me – I am a 26-year-old, and I’m even contemplating this; what about all the young girls who follow her? What does that tell them about their bodies? This whole thing really upset me. I really do take my position as a role model for younger girls seriously. I’ve gotten DMs asking me about dating advice, fashion tips, beauty questions some from girls as young as 12. I love being able to be a role model in a sense to them, to help them see how beautiful they are inside and out, and I really hope that this year I can continue strengthening those relationships.
#15: Know when to keep my mouth shut.
We all know I talk a lot… But sometimes it is not my place to comment or pass judgement. I hope I continue to be aware of when to be a support system without comment and when my opinion is requested!
#16: Hone in on my personal style
Being so into fashion my whole life, I am definitely the first to jump onto new trends. I am constantly putting outfits together in my head, planning what outfits I want to wear where, and always looking for fashion inspo. Maybe part of the reason why I started BasicallyB! 😉 I feel like at this point of my life I am really starting to develop my personal style. Pink is obviously involved, and I find myself stopping to try to force trends that don’t really feel right. I have more of a girlie, feminine style and while I love a good all black outfit or more of an edgier look, I am finding my closet not be as full of those trends that don’t necessarily fit my personal style.
#17: Feel less guilty about saying no.
I am a people pleaser. At times, I have felt guilty when I say no to opportunities, event invitations, or even just plans with friends when I’ve had a long day and need a mental health bubble bath. I hope that this year, “no” becomes a bigger part of my vocabulary, and I begin to embrace its power.
#18: Say yes more
On the contrary, I want to say yes more to the fun, silly unplanned things in life. Say yes to the last minute road trip. Say yes to the cute guy that asked me for a drink. Sometimes being spontaneous creates the best memories.
#19: Trust my gut.
Typically, I can read any situation or decision if I listen to my intuition. When I don’t listen because it’s too hard/complicated/etc. it comes back to bite me. I want to get better about not second guessing myself and learning to trust my gut instinct. It never leads me wrong!
#20: Find another hobby.
Blogging began as my “me time” and a fun hobby through which I made friends. It’s now my side hustle and though I do love it, I do try to treat it like a job at times. I want to find another creative outlet that will fill the hobby void in my life. I need something for my dating profile that’s not just blogging and traveling!
#21: Read more books.
Reading is always how I end my night. Whether it be 45 minutes or a quick 15 minutes before I pass out. I want to broaden my horizons when it comes to books and not just stick to the same types. I love historical fiction so I have been trying to find books from different time periods or eras that are newer to me.
#22: Grow in my career.
Finding this new job is like a breath of fresh air. Yes, being back in corporate America has taken some getting used to, but in the end having a career that is for me, changes my whole mindset. I have that boss babe spirit again, I want to push myself to succeed, and see where this career takes me.
#23: Cook a new recipe every week.
Pinterest is my favorite and will always be my favorite. There is so much inspiration for anything and everything. I am challenging myself to try a new recipe every week. It can be any meal, snack, dessert, or new drink. I think this will be a fun way to get more comfortable in the kitchen.
#24: Continue to slow down.
One thing the pandemic taught me was to slow down. I am such a go go go person, that this past year taught me that it is ok to have a slow Sunday morning. I don’t always need a set plan and by forcing myself to relax, I actually enjoy it now!
#25: To Laugh more than I ever have.
I laugh all the time don’t get me wrong. But I want to live the kind of life where I am having so much fun, doing what makes me happy that I am constantly laughing enjoying myself.
#26: Be happy.
At the end of the day, regardless of anything, I want to be happy.
Happy birthday to me!
Leave a Reply