17 from '17.

Well folks, it's about that time of year again where every basic blogger on the internet reflects back on all that the last year was. Now- don't get me wrong, I think self-reflection is a beautiful thing. It's just comical that we all do it at the ending of a calendar year specifically. (And here I am, shouting into the void as well, how fun!)

When I step back from my present circumstances and look at 2017, all I can say is w-o-w. What a year I have been given. Instead of trying to talk about all of the amazing things I've experienced (that's what Instagram is for, after all) and all the thoughts I've thought (check my old posts, peeps), I thought I would talk about the 17 things I've learned in 2017.

*As a disclaimer, I thought this was a cute title and didn't actually sit down and plan out 17 things I've learned, so I sincerely apologize in advance if these are not enlightening to you at all.*


1 | Lament like your heart depends on it. It actually does. I spent entire years pushing down fear, shame, and mistakes without ever properly handling them. There were whole months where any unpleasant rememberence sent me running for hiding, and I would instantly busy myself by any means to shift my focus. Without surprise, this left me even more broken and bleeding and totally in need of my savior. I wasn't lamenting, I was covering my wounds with more dirt rather than taking them to God to be washed clean.

2 | Get you some good people. Man, is there anything sweeter than finding your tribe? This last year almost felt like a refining of the people in my life. There were some friendships I was sad to see go, but when I step back and look at it from my new perspective, I see how some friendships were lost so that others could come to fruition. And my golly I am so happy with the people in my life. They rock. (If y'all are reading this, give yourselves a hand because you are amazing!)

3 | Write the words. The hard words, the pretty words, silly words- whatever they are, write them. Though I know that not everyone in the world is as in love with words as I am, I so so so value and respect them. When I feel lost, confused, or anxious, putting pen to paper has always been the start of something cathartic. When you can't sort through the thoughts in your head- write the words.

4 | Be someone's hype-man. I can't tell you the countless times I've slid into someone's DMs to tell them that they're looking fiiiiine tonight, that I cherish their sisterhood, or that they are quite literally the funniest human I've ever encountered. I love to do this for the people in my life (sometimes people I hardly know! Hey, it happens...), and I think it is so important to speak what you see in others to them. Spread that feel-good feelin' around!

5 | Reach out. This one goes out to all the other stubborn people like myself who think we can handle our problems on our own. I'ma let you in on a little secret: WE CAN'T. We literally cannot do it on our own. Isn't that liberating? I'll say it again: we cannot do it all on our own. Now that we've cleared the air- reach out to someone. I had a friend once tell me to stop feeling like I can't reach out when I need a distraction or simply for someone to sit down with me and go through the thoughts in my head. If you have people in your life who want to help you shoulder the weight of everything you're feeling, do yourself a favor and take them up on it.You're not a burden for needing assistance from time to time so stop feeling like it.

6 | They're not lying when they say once you get your first tattoo you'll want more. Sorry mom, but I don't think my first tattoo will be the last. Even though I sometimes forget my small one, every time I see it I remember all of the things it stands for, and I cherish it even more. Also these are so addictive... (Also also- thank you Han for going with me and petting my nose through it all.)

7 | Go on the spontaneous adventures. Even when your dad says you should be working and saving money, book the plane ticket and take off. I don't think I'll EVER stop talking about what I lovingly refer to as "my road trip," but if I had let fear and intimidation keep me from going for it, I wouldn't have had one of the most amazing times of my life. Some of my best memories and most life-changing moments came from my adventures out West, and it was all spontaneous (we literally didn't know where we were sleeping some nights, but I wouldn't change a thing).

8 | If you want to do something, you've got to start. I need to take this advice better still (my car talking show isn't going to start on it's own people), but look what's come from just starting- this whole blog. Though I've lost track of how many years I've been doing this thing, I wouldn't be here without just starting. One day I decided I wanted to have a blog and so I did. How pure and innocent was that? We all need to just start doing things more before the fear of striking out keeps us from playing the game. And yes, that was totally from A Cinderella Story.

9 | There's no such thing as "too many journals." Though my mom would absolutely bet the differ throughout my entire childhood, I have filled all the pages of every journal I've ever been given. Looking back on my thoughts, feelings, and prayers is kind of funny and sad all at the same time, but what a gift it is to have a space for them all.

10 | A break from social media will do wonders for your heart & mind. As someone who really struggles with comparison, deleting social media from my life for two weeks was both really difficult and also so desperately needed. I love social media because deep down I'm kind of nosy and I love to see what my friends are up to. As great as that may be, however, it can sometimes be unhealthy to scroll through someone's feed for hours wishing you had their life/experiences/ clothes/ etc. Though two weeks seems short in theory, you'd be amazed by how much junk you can rid from your mind by being unplugged for a little while.

11 | Take too many pictures. Sometimes I'm the annoying friend who will make you take literally 500 pictures that all look slightly similar, but I just don't want to forget. When a special event comes and goes, all that's left are the memories and the pictures. And let me tell ya- if I've learned anything from my four years studying psychology, I know that memories are fragile, easily changeable, and unreliable. So forgive me until the end of time, please, and get ready for tons of pictures.

12 | College is short. Make the most of it. Four years ago everyone was telling me that these years would fly by and shoooot. They were right. I didn't particularly care for high school, and college definitely got the best of me at times, but I think my undergrad has been my most amazing adventure yet. Freedom, late night fast food runs, and living in complete walking distance of all my best friends is something I will treasure forever. Though at times it feels like I wasted these four years academically, socially I was thriving. I'm going to be sad to enter the big girl world where paying back my loans and a new car payment while living at home are my new reality. But hey, it was only for a good time, not a long time, right?

13 | Make the time to read. They say that books are a dying industry but I disagree. I single handedly could keep the publishing business alive and well. As I've said before, I love words- especially when they are bound together in books! I get lazy with this sometimes but instead of scrolling through our phones at night, what if we read a book instead? Amazing concept, really, but how fun.

14 | A good road trip playlist is essential. You should always have one stored somewhere on your phone. Bonus points if you've burned it to a CD for those instances when someone doesn't have an aux cord. There's nothing quite like bumping the jams, singing obnoxiously, and laughing about how suckish you sound with your best friends.

15 | Know the way you like to receive love. This is important in relationships of any kind. For instance, I love quality time + physical touch and also words (love em all). My idea of a good time with my favorite people is just being together. We could watch a movie or get sushi and I will think it's the best day ever. Even more importantly than knowing the way you like to receive love, know how to communicate it.

16 | Know how your people receive love. Also important! My best friend and I do not love the same way. I love quality time and assurance, while she loves acts of service. If you want to love people well, love them the way they best receive love.

17 | Trust God's timing. It's better than ours, and completely perfect. Even though I want to rush through so many parts of my life, I know I'm being kept in this season of waiting in preparation for what He's going to call me to do.

Man 2017 was a ride. It was difficult and sweet and an adventure all at once. I would love to know what 2017 taught you if you feel so inclined to drop a lesson in the comments below. Until next time!