Don't get married NOW. I really love my H & I am glad we are married, but I think a lot of our issues could have been resolved by taking a break for like a year & dating other people/ being single & doing other things.
Go to grad school NOW you will never get to it later.
Oh yeah. Lay off the cigarettes and start running. It'll make all that stress eating you're going to do while in grad school a little easier on your waistline.
You're twenty-four. I know it seems like the world is ending, but the human race has made it through two world wars, the great depression, a bunch of shitty Presidents, various terrifying diseases, Genghis Kahn, etc., and yet most people still end up getting married, having kids, and enjoying life. Get out of your apartment and go have some fun. And break up with your rebound girlfriend, you both know it's not going to work out.
ETA I should probably also tell 22yo niq to put at least some money into the 401k. I've caught up, but it would have been a good idea.
I would tell me from the age of 6 to 16 to appreciate my parents more and stop wishing they were like some of my friends' "cooler" parents.
Spoiler: I turned out better than my friends with the "cool" parents. lol
Oh man, growing up has made me realize what an ungrateful self-entitled brat I was as a teenager.
For real, in the grand scheme of cosmic suffering, if mom has to live with us for 2 years and I manage her money for the rest of her life, she still got the raw end of that deal.
To not be so serious all the time. It's all well and good to follow all the rules all the time but jeez. You will be so much more fun in your thirties when you learn to laugh at yourself and take some risks.
Also, you're not going to find "the one" in college, so sleep around more and stop being concerned if they are long term material.
Don't buy that condo in Denver in 2007, you'll take a bath selling it in 2010. And don't replace all the appliances for $$$$ in July of 2008, you'll be with DH the next month, move across the country the following January and STILL be paying for that awesome SS fridge that your tenants are enjoying. Buying a home just because you can is STUPID.
Never start smoking. Why did I quit dancing? Don't quit that.
Skip that entire relationship from 2004-2007. It wasn't worth it on any level.
Don't have so much random sex. You're not doing it for the right reasons.
Pick Jess as your MOH, the one you chose sucked. Doesn't matter that you were friends for 22 years before the wedding, she'll write you off less than a year later because she's crazy.
Study abroad. You really don't have to finish in 4 years. Another semester would have been worth it.
When faced with moving back home and transferring back to home office, check out and interview with competing companies, don't just settle for whatever job they create for you. There's no such thing as loyalty, you worked for an insurance company FFS. Being reminded that they did you a huge favor right up until they laid you off while you were pregnant just proves that they are assholes.
Post by ginkgoleaf on Jan 13, 2015 19:56:21 GMT -5
Don't major in psychology. Buy a king sized bed sooner. Sleep around more in college. Become a SAHM from birth, not agonize over costs and wait till DS was 3. Travel more before having a kid. Start trying for #2 sooner.
I would tell my 22 year old self throwing myself into my career to take care of my physical health. I was so so focused on killing myself for my job that I neglected my health. I ate like crap, never exercised and gained weight. I've since gotten back on track but that's really the only thing I would change that I don't think would have changed where I am at in life now, because I'm in a great place in life.
When we got married - plan ahead so we could live on one income comfortably. We technically could, but it'd be super tight and we wouldn't be saving at all. For the same reason, I wish we hadn't refinanced our house to a 15 year mortgage a few years ago, to give us more wiggle room in our budget.
All of this brought to you by my maternity leave ending in two weeks I wouldn't want to be a SAHM forever, but I wish I had the option to take the rest of this school year off and be able to just sub for a few years, until C is older or we have another baby.
Post by SallySparrow on Jan 13, 2015 21:14:28 GMT -5
Go straight to nursing school after high school. Do not major in English and minor in musical theater, rendering yourself virtually unemployable. Dude, come on.
Stop trying to make relationships work when they are that hard. It's not supposed to be like that.
Do NOT vow that you won't have sex until marriage ever again as long as that pregnancy test is negative. Because it is negative. And for the love of god, if you do vow it, don't actually follow through!!
I was just thinking about this the other day. I think I have way too many regrets.
-be nicer to your parents. And insert everything this said. -try harder in hs. -dump your hs bf after graduation and go where you really want for college. Don't be tied down -pick a major in the sciences and skip law school -don't tan -and YOU ARE NOT FAT DAMNIT!!!