Wow, another year gone and 2018 has been such a life-changing one for me. I wanted to share 10 things that have happened and what I learned from those moments in time. These moments aren’t in any particular order.

1. Don’t push a friendship. This is something that I have to remind myself of when I am meeting new people. I learned over the summer that there was someone who I didn’t necessarily vibe with. It wasn’t that they were a bad person or anything like that but their priorities were definitely different than my own. I found it aggravating because they wanted more than what they were giving out to others. After the summer was over and I looked at it from a distance after a couple of months being away from that person is that it is okay not to want to hang out with that person or be close friends with them. They are in the same city as I am and yet, I don’t feel the need to bring that person into my life. I wish them all the best, I really do, but I don’t wish to feel emotionally drained from them. I think that the realization of that was extremely important for me to learn. I do text them from time to time because I do want to hear how they are and hope that they are doing well.
2. Graduation is not the beginning or the end of my growth. After graduating college it was the end of a chapter but not the end of who I was becoming. I have learned so much in college but it doesn’t necessarily define who I am. Instead, it defines who I want to be. I want to continue growing as a person and understand my triumphs and mistakes have only become stepping stones to where I will, hopefully, end up as a person.
3. I moved to NYC. Wow, what a big change! NYC was the one place I did not want to move because it was a place that I didn’t feel I had a connection to. However, once I moved here, everything changed. I love it. I love New York for all the craziness that I see. I do wish that people wouldn’t hold everything that they see online as what New York is. The reputation of New York is not all it seems and it has been one of the best places that I have come across.
4. Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour. Ever since Taylor Swift headlined her first tour, Fearless, I always wanted to go. After almost ten years of hoping to go, I finally went to her concert. I went to both dates in Toronto and had the absolute BEST time because I was seeing my idol for the first time. I was afraid that seeing my idol meant that the “magic” of that person would fade away but that was an absolute lie. I fell even more in love with Taylor and her music.
5. Plants. Literally, plants are what helped me make it through some of the lonelier times in New York City. Sounds weird, huh? I think that the idea of taking care of something living is wonderful. I don’t want kids or pets but plants, yes, please! I have become an avid plant lady who has air plants and succulents. I love them very much. I think that plants also make me feel like an adult.
6. Being open with roommates. One of the biggest things I have learned is being open with my roommates and keeping an open conversation. We all use the Splitwise app to help divvy up household expenses and we have a group chat where we talk about household issues. I think that it is extremely important to keep finances in conversation every couple of weeks or month to make sure everyone is doing their part.
7. Don’t let your parents define you or make decisions for you. I knew for a couple of years that where I am from in NC that I wasn’t going to go where I wanted in my career unless I moved. My parents think that jobs come easily no matter where you are. No, that is not the case. I have learned since standing up for myself and going to Italy that it didn’t matter what my parents thought. Of course, their opinions matter on some issues but when it comes to my career and what I choose to do with my life, it is not their decision. I think that anyone with strict parents can understand that dilemma. I have just learned to deal with it by telling my parents what I am doing without allowing them to put their two cents in of what they would do instead and how I would be making a bad decision.
8. Go somewhere new. I learned over the last 2/3 of the year that traveling or going somewhere that I haven’t been to before is the most amazing thing. Over the summer I was in a small town and became in tune with nature because those were the most popular places to visit. I also went to smaller towns. In NYC, I have gone to different boroughs and areas that have opened my eyes to everything New York has to offer. It isn’t about the distance but more about the experience. Even going to the next town over to see what is available may surprise you!
9. I don’t need to hide my true feelings to make friends. This kind of goes along with things in the first point but I have realized that I don’t need to force myself to do something that I don’t want to do. I was recently invited to go out and party but I am not much of that kind of person. I politely declined the invite. Before I would have felt the pressure to go out (though still declining) and felt that it made a friendship strained. Now, I have no problem saying I am not interested because I know that there will be something in the future that will be better suited for me. Might sound selfish but it is also something that someone shouldn’t pressure you into doing. My friend is great and didn’t even mind that I said no. I appreciate her for it and know that there are no hard feelings.
10. Knowing who my real friends are. Real friends are meant to lift you up when you are down, take you out to get food when you are in your head about work or just need to eat, and really care about you. If your friends don’t care about you or ditch you for no good reason, they aren’t your friends. If you can’t rely on them to help you out when you really need it or don’t give you anything in return, they aren’t your friend. Your friends are there for you, even when you sometimes doubt that they are real because they are that good. I have some great friends who I know I can rely on and know will be there for me.

That’s it folks! Comment down below what you have learned. I want to hear it all! I hope that you have a great New Year’s Eve! Also, watch Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour Movie because it is AMAZING.

One more thing is to look out for something new and excited happening to The Mermaid Network. Name change on the rise? Maybe…

xoxo
Tiffany