Happy Birthday: 21 Lessons I Have Learned by 21

Published on May 27, 2017 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

In case the title didn’t give it away already, it’s my 21st birthday! And while today is going to be filled with birthday wishes and time spent with loved ones, I wanted to share two looks with you guys as well as some very important lessons I have learned over the past 21 years.

P.S. I am aware that this photo shoot is extra, but honestly I couldn’t help myself. Be prepared for the many photos to come.

Look 1: Top: JCPenney Skirt: Ark & Co Shoes: Clark’s Necklace: borrowed from Mom 😉

As a kid, all you want to do is grow up. You want to be able to be out on your own, not have to listen to your parents, and be an “adult.” But as you get older, you start to realize everything that comes with being an adult. Most the time, I don’t even consider myself an adult. Because in my head an adult is supposed to have everything together, an adult is supposed to be going somewhere in life, they are supposed to have things figured out. Well according to that definition, I don’t feel like I’m an adult. But here I am, one year left in college, about to spend the summer living in New York City, working at the internship of my dreams. All of these things seemed so distant and, at times, even impossible about six months ago. Now it feels so real and sudden and so very, very scary. That’s another thing: adults don’t get scared.

Well forget what you thought you knew about being an adult. Because the truth is that adulthood is wonderful and amazing and scary and freeing and stressful and satisfying all at the same time! I know that I’m only just starting to learn these things, and some of the lessons I’m about to tell you are not just for you, they are for me as well. Because I am still learning. And I still have a ways to go.

Look 2: Top: Old Navy Skirt: Haute Monde Shoes: parker & sky

Don’t worry about what other people think.
Never apologize for being yourself.
Be as “extra” as you want.
It’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while.
Friends come and go, but family is forever.
Listen to your parents. They are right about some (most) things.
Love yourself, because you are stuck with yourself.
Never change who you are for a friendship, a relationship, or a job.
Let go of grudges, they only hold you back.
That being said, forgiveness and trust must be earned.
Everything happens for a reason.
But that doesn’t mean things will always make sense.
Trust yourself, trust your parents, and above all else, trust in God.
Not everyone has it all figured out. In fact, most don’t.
It’s okay to feel a little lost and confused.
But it’s also okay to ask for help.
You deserve happiness.
You are strong.
That being said, strength is not taught, it is earned. So get back up and try again.
Don’t give up on yourself or your dreams.
Dreams do come true, but only if you work hard for them.

This list is not comprehensive, nor does it work for everyone. This is not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of thing. I just wanted to speak from my own personal experiences and offer a few words of courage to anyone out there who, like me, is still figuring it all out. You may not agree with everything on this list, and that’s okay. You do you. The important thing is that we all do what’s best for us.

But I feel like this post was worth sharing, if only for you to hear about my life experiences. I hope you all take something away from this post. Feel free to leave your thoughts or any lessons you want to add in the comments below! And don’t forget, although we may grow older, there’s still a child inside us all.

The next time you read a post from me, I’ll be posting it from New York City!

Until then,

Much love, Kendall

Lessons

Published on December 18, 2014 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

I’m not going to lie to you. Right now, as I am typing this, I am also watching Gossip Girl on Netflix. There, I said it. The truth is out.

Hey. After the month that I’ve had, I deserve a time to detox and relax. I am finished with my first semester of college. Finals have come and gone and I have survived (though barely). Now I get to have a month free of any stress or worry. Related to school, that is.

So, here I am going to share my many lessons that I have learned during my first semester of college.

Leave your dorm. I can not stress this enough. During your first week at college you are going to feel like staying in your room and watching movies while eating microwave macaroni. This is called hiding and it is one of the worst things you can do.

At the same time, it’s perfectly acceptable to stay in on the weekends instead of going out. The first week I was at OSU my roommate and I binge watched 3 seasons of How I Met Your Mother. Eventually we did venture out and make friends but from time to time we still stay in and have movie night or Netflix marathons.

Talk to everyone. You will never have the opportunity in your life to talk to and meet so many different people from so man different backgrounds. Within my first week, I probably met over 200 different people. Now did I develop close friendships with all of them? Of course not. I didn’t even talk to a majority of those people after the first week but some of them did become very good friends. You never know who you are going to run into so go ahead and start a conversation! Anything can happen!

Which brings me to my next lesson. Anything can happen if you take every opportunity that is presented to you. Your friends what to go play a pick up game of Ultimate Frisbee? Go. Even if you don’t play (which you should) at least go and cheer them on or watch. There’s a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween night? Go. No matter how crazy or boring or just plain out weird it sounds, at least consider going. One time there was a Coke machine in the Union that gave you a free Coke if you hugged it, and I missed out on it. Still regret it.

Here’s a big one. Don’t get stuck in high school. Did I say don’t have friends that are still in high school? No. Did I say don’t go to some of your old high school events (ex. Homecoming)? No. But there is a big difference between occasionally showing up at your old high school and saying hi to some teachers or friends, and remaining glued to the high school drama and gossip and overall lifestyle. Let it go and move on.

Homework is important. But so is your health. Sleep often and don’t push yourself beyond what you can handle. I say this from personal experience, it is not okay to cross the line between healthy stress and unhealthy stress. It is not okay to not sleep. It is not okay to not eat. Your mental and physical health is so much more important than that homework assignment.

Make memories. But don’t forget to keep those memories. One of my favorite things to do is to take lots of pictures of moments that make me happy. I print them off and hang the up all around my dorm room. It makes life feel less lonely and homesick. And those moments that cant be caught by a camera, I write them down put them in a jar. This is my Happy Little Thought Jar and on New Year’s I will open it up and read about all the memories I had forgotten about. No matter what your method is, just make memories and hold onto them.

Keep organized. I swear if I had a dollar for every assignment that I forgot about until after it was already due…well I would have two dollars. But if I had a dollar for every assignment I lost track of until something or someone reminded me of its due date, I would have a lot more money. The point is, write everything down. Get a planner. plan every day down by the hour if you have to. Get a calendar for your wall. Put it someone you will see it every day. Keep track of everything, due dates, meetings, class schedules. Everything. Whatever works for you, find it and do it. You will thank yourself later.

I think that covers the big, general, and basic ones. Off course I have a couple of my own that I have set up specifically for myself. Like don’t piss off the roommate. Text my parents everyday and call at least once a week. Don’t overdue it on the Netflix. Save money whenever possible. If something has to be cut from my schedule it will always be leisure time aka Netflix. Do my best not to procrastinate, we all know that one is difficult. Take lots of naps, but not so long that I can’t sleep at night. Don’t wear workout clothes in public unless I am actually going to work out. Dress up as often as possible and always try to put effort into my outfit. Make good impressions on my professors. Don’t go home so often that I miss out on my college experience. And finally, be happy. Easy to say but less simple to do.

And finally. I would like to that the opportunity right now to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this stressful transition. Thank you to my parents for always being there for me. Thank you to my friends for listening to my problems big and small. Thank you to my roommate for putting up with me and making m feel less homesick. Thank you to my Chi Alpha family for taking me in and making OSU feel more like home. Thank you to my home church for reminding me that no matter where I go I can always find a home with you guys. Thank you to everyone who is reading this blog, everyone who has thought of me and prayed for me, everyone who has sent me well wishes, and everyone who has taken the time to read the ramblings of a college freshman. Whether you know me personally or not, thank you.

Beginnings and Endings

Published on September 3, 2014 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

Well I’m not going to lie, I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what to write about on this blog. It’s been a while since I created it, and I have yet to actually write a blog post. Until now, that is. In my defense, I have been busy preparing for, moving in, and settling in to college. I have completed my first couple of weeks of classes, and the dust is starting to settle. So I guess now I have the time to put my thoughts to keyboard. Here it goes.

“The future is scary, but you can’t just run back to the past because it’s familiar.”

-How I Met Your Mother

This past weekend I went home for Labor Day. It was my first time back home since I moved into my dorm room and said goodbye to my family. It felt so good to be back in the town that I grew up in and to be surrounded by people I knew. Everything was so familiar. It almost felt like I had never left. But at the same time, I felt out of place. Everyone: my family, my friends, my boyfriend, had moved on in life without me. I don’t know why that shocked me as much as it did. It’s not like I expected them to click the pause button on their lives until I got back. I certainly wasn’t spending my time at OSU counting down the days until I could go home and see everyone I missed.

Actually, that’s exactly what I was doing. And it’s not that there is anything wrong with that. I have every right to miss all the people I left behind. But, as I will soon realize and accept, I also have every right to enjoy this new and exciting part of my life. And that’s what I’ve decided to dedicate to this blog. Throughout this transition into college and, later on, into the real world this is where I will map out my journey of becoming independent, confident, unique, and me.

Wish me luck,

Kendall