"Dear 18 Year Old Me" | Tess from The Lyrics To Life

Message From The Editor: 2016 is the year that I turn the grand old age of eighteen (I know - young blogger alert). I'm a May baby so I have roughly four months and counting until adulthood begins and to say I feel unprepared is the understatement of the century. It's fair to say that I feel desperately in need of some advice and wisdom from those who have already completed this year of their life, so in my time of need I have turned to the blogging community. For the foreseeable future, every Sunday here on Yours Chloe is going to play host to a different guest blogger who have taken the time to compose a letter to their eighteen-year-old self sharing some of the wisdom they have amassed in their years since turning 18. Some of the letters have taken on themes such as relationships, education, friendships etc. and some of the letters have simply combined said topics and more to create a collection of general pieces of advice. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each of the posts I've been sent for this series and I really do hope you have a similar experience, regardless of the place in life you currently find yourself at. Yours, Chloe x

Being 18 feels like a lifetime ago.

My life was so different when I was 18. I was in high school, I was in a happy relationship and I had the best group of friends. Everything was pretty much as I wanted it to be.

Fast forward 5 years later, and I'm in university, single and with a very different and much smaller group of friends. I don't mind it, that's just how life goes.

If there is one thing, I wish I could tell my 18 year old self, it is to enjoy life more. Go out more, laugh more, and be more spontaneous. Heck, even study more because in the end you'll thank yourself for it.

Appreciate the friends you have because as soon as you're not in the same school anymore, you will lose some of them. It's the sad truth but a truth nonetheless. Life goes on, trust me.

Build up and explore exciting and challenging hobbies, who knows where it might take you one day?

Say a big f-you to every person who tries to knock you down, betrays your trust or hurt you in any other way. It is so not worth staying friends with people who doesn't bring you happiness anymore. Some people are only present in your life for a short period of time, and that's normal. I never knew just how normal that is, and I wish I did.

Travel as much as you can. Travelling is the most life changing thing I have ever done. I pushed so many boundaries, I grew as a person and I started to get a grasp of who I am. Travel, travel, travel. Your future self will love you for it.

Study/work with whatever you want. Don't let ANYONE tell you what to do, how to do it and when to do it. It's your life. I didn't figure out what I wanted to do with my life until I was almost 22. I took two gap years, travelled, worked, and made memories. If I hadn't taken those two years off I would never have gone to that many concerts, and I would never have figured out that live music is what I want to work with.

But in all honesty, if there is only one thing I could tell my 18 year old self - and every 18 year old reading this - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Trust your gut in every aspect of life. Listen to what other have to say but make decisions that work for you. You're the leading role in your own life not just an extra in others.

I spend way too long doing what was convenient for everyone else, and it's so not worth it.

Be humble, stay true to who you are, and most importantly - learn who you are. 

Tess writes a music and lifestyle blog at www.thelyricstolife.com

(2018 Update: Tess' Blog is no longer live.)