If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that I turned 25 this past Sunday! It’s crazy to even think that I’m 25 years old, and I keep saying that I don’t know where the time has gone. Obviously 25 is not old by any stretch of the imagination, but to me, it’s kind of one of those ages where life starts to feel more real and you’re officially an “adult”. Like I feel like I seriously need to get myself together now, ha! Anyway, I’m excited for this next year of my life and am feeling so blessed and grateful for the past 24 years. So in honor of this big birthday, I want to share 20 facts about me that you probably don’t know and five of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned along the way. Let’s do this!

20 Facts About Me

1. My first official pets were two gold fish named Barney and Lisa (I was absolutely obsessed with Barney the big purple dinosaur as a kid. But as far as Lisa goes, I’m not sure where that name came from, ha!)
2. Since then I’ve had six dogs, one cat, and two (awful) hamsters. Those hamsters were the worst pets I’ve ever had and I swear to this day that I will never get my children hamsters lol.
3. My favorite color has changed a bunch of times throughout my life but today it is gold (yes, that counts!) and/or blush pink.
4. I love all kinds of music. One shuffle session on my Spotify playlist can range from Ed Sheeran to Beyonce to Sam Hunt to Migos to Taylor Swift and I’m totally okay with that.
5. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York but I was born and raised in/around Philadelphia, PA.
   
   

   

   

6. Speaking of, I left PA for college and was completely over the city and dying to spread my wings. But now that it’s been some time and I go back to visit my family, I’ve completely fallen back in love with Philly and am so grateful to be from there. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart?
7. I went to college at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL and am so happy that I did. Moving over 1,000 miles away from everyone that I knew at age 18 was absolutely terrifying but definitely helped shaped me into who I am today and I’m so glad that I took that leap.
8. I’m an only child, but I was raised incredibly close with my cousins who have always been like my siblings and best friends so I don’t feel like I missed out on a single thing.
9. The farthest I’ve traveled is to Las Vegas, but since I applied for my passport this year (finally!) that should change soon ?
10. Growing up, I was a competitive cheerleader for almost 10 years and it was my entire life. I stopped when I went to college and to this day, I miss it SO much.
11. I went to college as a pre-law major (LOL!) but that only lasted for about one semester before I changed my major to Creative Advertising and discovered my love for graphic design, aka what I do today for my career in NYC!
12. I’m absolutely terrified of heights but I love all of the high, adrenaline-pumping rides at amusement parks. I know, it makes no sense, ha!
13. The beach is my happy place. I find water to be so calming and have always been a natural swimmer. My family/boyfriend joke that I’m actually a mermaid, which I’m completely okay with ?
14. I’ve become such a homebody over the past few years. I used to love going out in college but by the end I was over it. Today I much prefer a Friday night in with the boyfriend, ordering some food and watching Netflix.
15. I’m a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and some of my sorority sisters are my very best friends. 
16. As a kid I was painfully shy, but cheerleading definitely helped me break out of my shell and feel more at ease in social settings.
17. I love love love reality TV. Some of my favorites are The Bachelor/ette franchise, MasterChef, Survivor, KUWTK, and all the MTV shows like Teen Mom, The Challenge, etc.
18. I hate having to pick a favorite movie. There are just way too many good ones! Most recently though, I saw The Greatest Showman and WOW, that’s definitely one of my favorites at the moment. Highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet.
19. I’m such a relationship girl and have been with my boyfriend Craig for going on five years this summer ?
20. I love to bake and chocolate is my favorite food. Not joking. If something has chocolate in it, I’m good to go. I also actually prefer dessert over dinner or lunch because I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth.
    

    

    

    

    

5 Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Try not to take life and yourself too seriously. Life is messy and we’re all imperfect. Laugh at the embarrassing moments and don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself. We only live once, make it count.
2. Don’t expect people to know what you’re feeling/thinking. As a kid I would get so mad at my friends or family members but I wouldn’t tell them why. My mom would always have to sit me down and remind me that people aren’t mind-readers, and often don’t even realize they’ve hurt you unless you tell them. This has made me such a big communicator today, and I’m all about talking problems out right away instead of letting them blow up later.
3. Try to keep things in perspective. In college, I found myself in so much unnecessary drama that at the time felt huge and so important. Looking back, I can’t even remember 75% of that drama and I wish that I’d been able to brush things off more and focus on my life more. In the moment it’s so easy for a small problem to feel HUGE. Try to take a step back and think to yourself: will this really matter a week from now? Will I even remember what this fight was about next year? If not, shrug it off and keep it moving.
4. Be selfish with your time and your energy. I can be a people pleaser, and I hate letting other people down. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that a) it’s okay to say no sometimes and b) you have to do what’s best for you. I’m not saying to never help out your friends again. I’m just saying to not be afraid to take time for yourself, or miss plans that you felt obligated to go to versus actually wanting to go. I’m saying to not be afraid to cut toxic people out of your life. It may hurt in the moment, but it’ll be worth it in the long run because you don’t need that bad energy around you.
5. Go for it. Whatever it is. If you have a dream or a goal, just go for it. What’s the harm in trying? More often than not, when I set my mind to something I am able to achieve it. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. So just go for it and never ever ever stop believing in yourself! (still working on this one myself 😉 )

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