Then: I thought I knew everything. How could I possibly ever be boring and grown up? I would be different. I know who I am, and I won't change for anything.
Now: I can recognise that I don't know everything, and I definitely recognise I made some poor (but fun!) decisions. I look forward to learning more about myself and life, and changing for the better.
Then: When I met another girl I was jealous of for whatever reason, I was either a straight up bitch or I was super fake. Like that person didn't deserve my congratulations or compliments.
Now: If I see a pretty girl, I am not embarrassed to tell her that she is gorgeous because I know compliments are awesome when they are sincere. If something fabulous happens to someone I love, I am truly happy for them. It's ok to wish for something similar for yourself, but jealousy just makes you bitter.
Then: You don't really think about where the relationship is going when you start out. It's just fun and it will probably end sometime.
Now: If you know you aren't gonna marry the guy eventually, there is no point to this relationship. note: by marry I mean be with forever. Not necessarily sign the paper and all that jazz. But if you know this person is not who you want snoring and farting next to you forever, there's no point going any further.
Then: If a boy I was 'dating' was a douchebag and a girlfriend tried to tell me, or if he cheated on me with a 'friend', or whatever - I ditched the girl. She was clearly jealous and trying to make me as unhappy as she was.
Now: Hoes before bros y'all. Or something like that. Within reason, if a girlfriend tells me something is up, I trust her. She's looking out for me. Boyfriends come and go, girls are forever. Obviously I'm married now, but you know what I mean. He's forever too.
Then: If someone didn't like me, I pretended not to care whilst secretly trying to convince them that I am awesome.
Now: I don't like everyone, so I can't expect everyone to like me. It's not always malicious when someone doesn't like me, it's just personalities not meshing. And that's okay.
Then: Spend all the money in the bank account! That's what it's there for, right? If there's enough to pay the bills, yay. If not, at least I had fun!
Now: Budgets. Bills first. Fun later.
Then: Pre drinks to get as hammered as possible.
Now: Pre drinks to save money.
Then: Twenty drinks, next morning I feel fine and dandy. Gloats and brags about never having a hangover before, I must be lucky!
Now: I need three days to recover, please. Calls in sick on Monday: I think I have
Then: When I went out, I wanted the loudest, fastest, craziest music and dancing all night. Lets get hammered! Someone falls over, someone pukes, someone cries (hint: all of those someones are me)
Now: Can you turn this down? Is there somewhere I can sit to drink my wine? Do you have snacks? My feet hurt. Also, this is how I feel in a Forever 21 store.
Then: If I did something wrong, and I got caught or chastised, whether at work or in my personal life, I would either argue or not own up to it.
Now: I take all responsibility for things I do. I messed up? Shit. My bad. I will fix it. Unless I broke it. Sorry.
Then: Whatever is trendy is what is on my body. I can't even remember what was trendy when I was a teenager, which proves this point even more.
Now: I like trends as much as the next girl, but
Then: Girls were super bitchy. If you were proud of yourself, thought you looked good, had some confidence, you were judged. What a stuck up bitch.
Now: Girls are still bitchy. Womp womp. But I stay far away from those bitches. I am proud of who I am, I like the way I look and confidence is sexy.
Then: You're friends with people because you always have been, or for whatever reason. You keep seeing each other, keep trying to make it work because that's what you're supposed to do, right?
Now: I don't have time for toxic relationships. I could count my true friends on both my hands and I would much rather that than a bunch of meaningless acquaintances and have no one to call when I have a bad day, think I am pregnant or just want to talk to someone.
Then: I try to be everyone else, try to be what is cool, try to be someone else.
Now: I like myself, so that's who I'm gonna be.
Then: Afraid of getting old.
Now: This:
What about you? Any of these ring true, or do you think I am as crazy as ever?
haha love all of these, I dont have time for toxic friendships, I dress for me now and not solely for trends and good lord I love me so I no longer even consider pretending to be anyone else. And that last one is the best!!!
ReplyDeleteA lot of these ring true! I just can't go out like how I used to anymore, but I am 100% okay with that!
ReplyDeleteThese are great!! Love the pregaming and the hangover recovery time for sure!!
ReplyDeletehahaha. Love it! Definitely lots of truth in this post!
ReplyDeletei love this :) i love embracing loving ourselves, and not trying to hard to conform... i also LOVE giving people compliments :) such a great gift to give
ReplyDeleteBaha love the Parks and Rec one - so true though!!
ReplyDeletewww.madeintheshadeblog.com
HAHA omg girl I could not agree more with you! And these gifs are amazing! Minus the super creepy Kristen Dunst! Damn whoever made that for not making her reflection move!! And yes, sadly, most girls are still bitchy. Hope you had an amazing weekend!!
ReplyDelete<3, Pamela
sequinsandseabreezes.blogspot.com
Oh there is SO much truth to all of these! I guess that's the thing about growing up-- you learn as you go! I'm totally with you, on the things I thought were important when I was younger-- now I'm just like why did I ever care about that?!
ReplyDeleteYes & amen to all of these! The things you learn growing up.
ReplyDeleteThe Parks & Rec pics are my favorite :)
I agree with a lot of your thoughts! Shopping in forever 21 is stressful! lol Imagine bringing children with you.. I pretty much only shop online now XO
ReplyDeleteHaha, who knew The Hills could inspire so many life lessons! And yes, it's funny how our perception changes with a little age and experience. I agree with most of these points, but especially about tightening up my group of friends to just the quality people. I spot the red flags sooner now and keep those people firmly placed in the "acquaintance" category. No need for extra drama down the road!
ReplyDeleteGina -- On the Daily Express
Kristen, this is a great post! There is so much truth in all of the then vs nows!!! Love it!
ReplyDeletethis is so awesome and 100% true. as you age, you become more comfortable in your skin and you look at the years past with fondness and laughter as you realize how far you've come.
ReplyDeletei 1000000% agree with the drink all night/rage like crazy and feel like death for weeks after. shieeeeet, i can't party like i used to.
-kathy
Vodka and Soda
I'm completely with you on the dating/marriage one. I'm 25, and a lot of people don't seem to understand why I don't just date "Mr. Right Now" to "kill time" until my "Mr. Right" comes along. These are also the people who don't really understand that I am not suicidal because I'm 25 and single, haha. But I just don't really see the need for a relationship at this point that isn't a meaningful one. Why waste a few months or even years of everyone's time? Anyway, glad to see someone agrees with me on that front :)
ReplyDeleteOh and you know that budget part went straight to my heart :)
And the toxic friendships thing... just yes. All of these are great lessons to learn, and knowing them and staying true to them is what makes your twenties SO much better than high school. In my opinion, at least :) love this post!
Oh girl, YES they all ring true haha. And... now I really want to watch The Hills :)
ReplyDeleteAll of this... so so true. I love the pointless relationship bit, I totally feel that way now even though I am only interested in casual dating. If it ain't there I really don't see the need to keep dating case I just don't like you that much. Sorry. And I still don't budget... I suck with money but I'm trying to grow up there too:)
ReplyDeleteThe HIlls!!!! Oh all the memories! I really just wanted to be LC's friend..or really...have her job! I mean come on!!!
ReplyDeleteI pretty much agree with all of this!!! It is amazing how much we change from 18-25 then again from 25-30. Some things really get put into perspective, you find yourself, and you find out the kind of people you want to surround yourself with!
I never thought I would be a boring old adult either but gahhh I love being boring. Please hand me the couch, the junk food, and the remote please. I'll just sit here and and let the world pass me by today.
ReplyDeleteFun post!
You are so right on all of these!! I was so worried about everyone liking me - now I'm like whatever I have enough friends haha
ReplyDeleteLove this! I totally predrink to save money and if your drink is something like champagne then why not?! And I'm with you I do not care if people don't like me. Good riddance!
ReplyDeleteSo true! I love the very last one "a real woman is never too old" :)
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes. Yes. To all of the above! PS. I totally miss The Hills.
ReplyDeleteOh The Hills. I used to watch that show on repeat. I was just telling my husband the other day how a few years ago I wouldn't take responsibility for things and now I do. It's ok to say that was my fault and I did something wrong. I have such a better work ethic than I used to. Some of the things I would do in my early twenties I wouldn't even think about now. That's the one thing I've loved about getting older, finding myself and learning from what I did wrong.
ReplyDeleteWait, is the Hills still on TV? That gives me flashbacks to my youth. These are all good reasons to be happy I'm no longer 19. I totally thought I was brilliant and that I knew everything. Now I have a bit more of a realistic and forgiving view of things and I'm way happier with who I am. I only hope I don't look back in ten years and think I was crazy in my late 20s.
ReplyDeleteThis all ring too! It takes so long to recover from a night of drinking. I feel like the older I get the more i just know who I am. I am not going to spend money or buy things to please someone else. It has to fit who I am.
ReplyDeleteYes! Love these. They are so true. And I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way about Forever 21. haha!
ReplyDeleteYaaas girl I love all of these! Just this weekend I rolled my eyes at the "obnoxious loud girls" and then was like "oopsies that used to be me!" Also- forever21, why is it so loud? And yes to the hills. <3 Netflix
ReplyDeleteI definitely watched The Hills lol.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be nice if we could actually go back and give our younger selves advice?!?
Yess, I love giving/receiving actual compliments. Not Mean Girls backhanded compliments. I never hesitate now to tell someone I like their shoes etc, cause I love that stuff. LOL my search was always to find the guy I want snoring and farting next to me. I feel the same way in a Forever 21 store. Ours has two stories, so usually I make it halfway through the first before asking myself what I'm doing here and going online shopping.
ReplyDeleteWhat a freaking fantastic post girl. Sometimes I wish I could go back and slap teenage Amanda in the face and go "you know what??? You will never see these people again because you are going to move away and live in FL and never see their sorry asses again!" I feel like I try to educate all my little teenage patients all the time but they still roll their eyes at me because I'm old booooo
ReplyDeleteDied "pre drink to save money" ain't that the straight truth. "No thanks we will have water....unless you have a happy hour drink special....oh you don't??? water is cool".
-I'm currently working on day two of my "food" poisoning......so sad how much I can't hang.
-I need a chair....and bahahahah yes snacks! Oh you don't have a wine list? No I'm good thanks.
-Thank goodness for those friends when you think you're pregnant ;-)
I can't wait to turn 30! Bring it on! I'm getting better and better with each year....(at least that's what I tell myself ;-)
Fabulous post darling!!! xoxoxo
Bahaha yes to all of these especially the hangover thing! These days if I have 2 glasses of wine I have a headache the next day!
ReplyDeleteOk basically these are all perfect!! Especially the whole pre drink to save money and the 3 days recover! Like wtf is with lets drink 3 drinks and have a headache in the morning?! Also the whole loud music, this old lady doesn't have time for that anymore! It's like torture! Oh and the true friends over a bunch of acquaintances! Spot on! Just had a talk about this with a friend this weekend!
ReplyDelete<3 Shannon
Upbeatsoles.blogspot.com
Teenager vs. Twenties are soooo true!!
ReplyDeleteoh the hills talk about a way back when, how many years ago was that?? maybe not too long ago but it seems like forever
ReplyDeleteIt's like we are the same person- then and now! I can not hang at all anymore!
ReplyDeleteYes!! Getting "old" isn't nearly as bad as I once thought it would be. I feel better in my skin with each passing year!
ReplyDeletei try to make a conscious effort to give people compliments because i know they make my day when people give them to me.
ReplyDeleteYessss to ALL of these...literally ALL of them!! HAHA.
ReplyDeleteALL of these!!!!! I always say that if I could have my 20-year-old body back I'd take it in a heartbeat, but, I'd NEVER go back to my 20-year-old MIND. Good lawd... 20-year-old Amanda was a bitch ass MESS! hahaha
ReplyDeleteHAHA!! All of these are the damn truth. Getting old is amazing, I can't even really believe I thought my life was soooo great. But I got married at 19 so some of these things were altered immensely. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this: "I don't like everyone, so I can't expect everyone to like me."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. When I was younger I use to try and make everyone like me or walk on egg shells so everyone liked me or try and not rock the boat...now I'm whatever. I don't have to like everyone and they don't have to like me.
This was golden. Your "now" is an amazing woman I'm happy to be friends with!! :)
ReplyDeleteYES! To all of this. It's just spot on. I am so glad to have left my 20 year self behind, I can't believe I thought I had it all figured out back then haha.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant maturity!! I think we can all agree to these. And if I knew someone currently my age who was still stuck in the "then" I would anomalously send this your link, hehe. :)
ReplyDeleteThese are SO funny and SO true!! The predrinking one cracks me up! That is exactly what Michael and I's train of thought is every time we go somewhere! Lol
ReplyDeletehaha I love these and they are very true, especially the different drinking scenes. I want to socialize and drink wine in a quieter setting, not somewhere I can feel myself shaking from the loud music!
ReplyDeleteyour confession posts make my life.
ReplyDeletelove this - so funny and all are so true. i remember being 18 and thinking i knew it all... yeah no.
ReplyDelete