A Letter To My Younger Self: 18 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was 18

1. These are not the best days of your life. Not even close. The best is HONESTLY yet to come.
2. Graduating high school is not nearly as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. It’s just a mile marker. And while you thought that those four years we’re important, they really weren’t.
3. In a few years, basically everyone that you consider a “best friend” or an essential part of your being will no longer be a part of your life. And honestly, it’s okay. You are all going to grow up and grow apart. And while for a period of your life they were important in helping you become the person you’re meant to be...there will soon be other people filling their shoes. And it’s okay to be sad about that. But eventually you’ll look back on the time you spent with them and smile. And while you’ll wonder what they’re doing and wish them well, you won’t necessarily miss them. And you shouldn’t feel guilty about not missing them.
4. You are going to major in business at USFSP. That is a mistake. Actually….college in general is a mistake for you. It is also possibly a waste of time and money. But you have to figure this out on your own.
5. You have absolutely no idea who you are and what you want to do with your life. And even though you THINK you do...I assure you that you don’t. But this is another thing that is completely okay. You have so much more time to figure that out. It’s all trial and error. Stop stressing about it.
6. You are so young! Enjoy it and stop trying to grow up so quickly. There are a lot of years ahead of you to be an “adult”. Take this time and enjoy that the fact that besides going to class and paying your rent each month...you don’t really have too much else to worry about.
7. You can’t make people love you. Save yourself the heartache and realize this now. Seriously. I am begging you.
8. Family is really important. Stop being such a bitch and go spend some time with them. In a few years you’ll start relating to them and understanding why they do the things they do...and why they are who they are.
9. It’s okay to change your mind. You can change your mind about absolutely anything, at any time that you want. Do not let anyone make you feel bad about this.
10. All of those things that you think you can’t do? YOU CAN DO THEM. Stop being so afraid. You’re just wasting time.
11. You’re going to do a lot of drinking and a lot of drugs your first year of college. This is a mistake. But it is one you have to make. Don’t worry though. It’s just a phase. You’ll grow out of it. Eventually you’ll learn that you prefer to be sober. Partying isn’t really your thing.
12. All of your drama is stupid. It is genuinely stupid. Everything that is important and an issue now is LITERALLY not going to matter in just a few years. Possibly a few months, weeks or days. Time heals all.
13. Don’t be afraid of change. It is necessary. Stop running away from it. The sooner you accept that fact that nothing lasts forever, the happier you’ll be. Appreciate what you have while you have it and then let it go when it is time. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress and  heartache.
14. YOU ARE NOT CRAZY.
15. You have really bad anxiety. Start learning how to handle that now. Just relax and take a fucking breath every once in awhile.
16. A majority of the people that you meet suck. Seriously….they suck. So be careful who you trust. On the bright side...there are a few genuinely amazing people left in this world. When you find them, hold on to them.
17. The only person who’s opinion matters is your own. Stop giving a shit about what everyone else thinks. I don’t care how important you think they are to you. Do not EVER let anyone tell you who you are or who you should be. YOU GET TO DECIDE THAT. Do not try and change to fit the mold that someone is going to create for you.
18. It gets easier.

Below are some photos that Harrison Ponce and I worked on yesterday! We we're lucky enough to have my mom drop by with a gift of some new lights and a mini lighting lesson. We then proceeded to set up an improvised photography studio, in our living room...aaaand this was the result. We normally do most of our shoots together with natural lighting. So this was a bit of a learning experience and trial run. We also switched up our usual roles for a bit, with me behind the camera and Harrison in front of it. So, you'll wanna scroll down and check out one of the few photos Harrison has ever let me take of him. ANYWAYS, these are our "Test Shots" :)

 

 Photos by Harrison Ponce
(@Harrison_ponce)