19 THINGS I LEARNED IN 19 YEARS
19 THINGS I LEARNED IN 19 YEARS
Alexa Chung shared 40 years of wisdom with Vogue. Today is my 19th birthday, so here are my 19 pearls of wisdom that I learned from 19 years of fucking up.
Stop expecting people to give a shit.
The pictures of yourself that you hate will be beautiful to you soon.
Being uncool is cool.
When someone compliments you, believe them.
Stop watching Gilmore Girls when Rory goes to Yale.
Never try to transport an open fish tank in a moving vehicle. (Had to learn that one the hard way. RIP Elfish Presley.)
Read the book before you watch the movie.
Find friends that feel like family. Hold on to them.
Talk less. Smile more. Quote Hamilton whenever you can.
Not surprisingly, libraries are a good place to write. So are coffee shops. So is your desk. And your bed. And the beach. And the shower. If you want to be a writer, write.
If you fuck up, blame it on Mercury. Chances are it’s in retrograde.
Don’t let people tell you that your interests are frivolous. You can love makeup and fashion and glitter and also be smart all in one lifetime.
If you are hungry, EAT.
Window-shopping is a myth. You will end up buying something. But retail therapy is so real.
Think before you speak. And spell check before you tweet.
There’s nothing a nap can’t fix.
You will never know how to thank your parents enough.
Embrace trash TV. Yes, I am talking about Glee.
Remember that somehow, by government standards, you are an adult. You will feel lost and out of place sometimes, but hey, at least now you can spend too much money on groceries and blame it on “adulting”, so drink some coffee and pretend to know what you’re doing.
Note: This was written on November 13th (my actual birthday), but thank you for the wishes. xx
By Nazly Elbosaty
Published April 17, 2024.