Since I am now officially 26 years old and have the authority to talk about things that occurred in the last 12 months of my life, here’s a list! Of lessons, observations, and musings from the year I spent at a quarter of a century.
1. I am a qualified teacher.
2. I have become a great interviewer, something I never thought was possible given my previous experience and introversion. Practice makes better! (Not perfect because perfect is never an attainable goal.)
3. Because of 1 and 2, I landed a lovely position teaching English as a New Language at a school that seems to be really great. So this year had me start in my first permanent appointment of my career for myself, and not any pregnant ladies or new mothers.
4. Sometimes I need to remind myself of number 1. And the confidence I should have in all my abilities.
5. Exercise has become an indispensable part of my life.
5.5 I still cannot spell indispensable on the first try as my spelling instinct is to write/type “i” instead of “a.”
6. No matter how much I criticize my mother, there are some habits of hers that are also mine.
7. My room can reach a scary state of clutter. I have the ability to control aforementioned clutter.
8. So many people are engaging, marrying, and birthing babies! This is not a new or inordinate observation of this age group, but it’s still a little wild to witness these occurrences within my own circles of friends.
9. Falling in love has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. And I do not believe I have ever quite tried to put into words the way he makes me feel and how I feel about us. Maybe at 26 I can stop being scared of how tall an order that is and get something down on paper.
10. Sometimes I’m scared of it and the future of it, but I know I adore and admire the present of it.
11. Reading remains one of my most thrilling hobbies. And I remembered this over the last year as I kept my promise to read more often despite work/grad school capabilities.
12. I BECAME A GRADUATE SCHOOL GRADUATE! And now hold my Master’s Degree in a field I love. :)
13. Older teachers resistant to technology scare me a little. And while I may not use technology as much in my personal life, I have vowed to utilize new advancements for professional purposes because I do not want to be so behind and narrow-minded as some colleagues I have worked alongside.
13.5. I think this recognition was the final push in my abandoning my beloved Blackberry for my new prized iPhone (also a big fucking milestone this year).
14. I think I have done a fairly good job at balancing my relationships. Some people really do not make time for their friends, and I really do not understand that. I understand becoming wrapped up in life and busy-ness, but even balancing a significant other cannot be one’s only source of interaction. I never found it healthy.
15. I will never not love a good revolution. Though my heart often beats in time with the Mexican one in the early 1900s. It stirs me like few others.
16. I am not yet a great cook. However, I am an EXPERT at utilizing leftovers in new and creative ways.
17. Are You Afraid of the Dark? can be watched on YouTube. And it is STILL freakin’ scary. Maybe as a 26-year-old, I’ll work up the nerve to watch the “Dead Man’s Float” two-part episode that did not allow me to shower without fear for weeks when I was young and watched SNICK.
18. My mother country is fucking gorgeous. And so are the people in it. My family all have cuori d’oro.
19. Parents are human. And sometimes it is superbly difficult to remember that they have insecurities and traumatizing pasts. It is unfair to think they are infallible or “should know better” or do not have fears similar to yours.
20. I have never watched television religiously, actively, excitedly, until my brother turned me on to Breaking Bad. And now that I have completed the series, it will take a damn lot of convincing for me to watch another show. Right now, nothing else will ever be that incredible. Unf.
21. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live near my family when I do move out. I would like to be within close range for important moments in everyone’s lives.
22. I am no longer afraid to shake it on the dancefloor. Sometimes I would feel embarrassed or hesitant to move with the rhythm, but 25 stripped me of this self-consciousness.
23. I am pretty skilled at painting rocks, as evidenced by the finished product of my paint night experience.
24. Every situation is changeable. While I am one who often feels stuck in a certain position, I learned this year to let go of at least some of that tunnel vision that sometimes settles into my mind and spirit.
25. Everyone has their own journey. This has been my GREATEST lesson this year as I worked with various people and met new faces. As I listened to struggles and successes, I learned about being understanding of everyone’s differently-wound paths.
Wow! That list was actually a lot easier to compose than I thought when I first set out for such a daunting task. Year 26, you have already arrived; and I am ready for you.
