Things I Would Tell My Teenage Self

Last week, I did a post called “10 Lessons to Teach My Daughter.” For some reason, this post has stuck with me for a few days because most of these lessons, okay all of these lessons, are ones that I didn’t learn until I was at least 19 or 20. I used to say, “No way would I ever want to relive my teenage years again.” But the older I get, the more curious I am about how different things would be if I’d known then what I know now. There’s so many things I wish I could go back and teach to Teenage Kaytee before learning them the hard way:

Boys are not worth your tears, friendships, or dignity. I cannot tell you how many stupid things I did and friendships I sacrificed over more than one boy. Guess what, I don’t have contact with a single one of those boys now, and couldn’t even tell you where some of them are in life at this point. But the friendships I’ve salvaged have stuck by me through every stupid decision and every emotional meltdown.
Take your vitamins. Stupid lesson, I know, but they do wonders for your skin, energy, and immune system.
Put down the McDonalds and go for a walk, jog, bike ride, anything. Losing weight has been the best thing for my self-confidence, but I wouldn’t wish the struggle on anyone if they could avoid it.
Homemade hair-cuts are a HUGE no-no. I know it seems like a good idea to “just trim a little” yourself, but when one side keeps ending up shorter than the other and you end up with your hair as short as your earlobes, you’ll regret the decision immediately.
On that note, two more hair lessons: NEVER purchase a Wet2Straight flat iron and use it on soaking wet hair, and NEVER EVER buy a box red hair dye/blonde highlighting kit to try at home. My poor hair has only now started to recover from all the damage I put it through as a teenager.
Missing a party isn’t missing much at all. Unless your idea of fun is ending up sleeping in a car, getting carried up a flight of stairs, sleeping on a stranger’s couch, and waking up to a guy standing in his living room watching you sleep. 0/10.
Apply for more scholarships. When you live in the state with the largest amount of student debt (holla) apply for any and all scholarships, even if they don’t seem likely to be awarded to you. I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class and you know what I have to show for it now? Student loan debt up to my eyeballs.
Dress for your comfort, not for your friends. As a teenager, I thought dressing like my friends was what I was supposed to do. So I squished my boobs into a too-tight shirt and a sweater that did everything except keep me warm. My current choice of style doesn’t stray far from jeans, flannel shirts, and v-neck t-shirts. And hallelujah, my boobs can breathe again.
Never settle. I never wanted to marry the guy I was dating in high school…not toward the last few months anyway. I never wanted to be as overweight as I was. I never wanted to depend on my dad for my money. So, I ditched the guy, lost the weight, and got a job. And most importantly, I’ve had fun since then. In the last few years, I’ve opened my eyes to what really matters and it really is about the simple things for me. But I never ever want to settle for “good enough.” As I go from being broke college student to broke college graduate, I know my life is going to change in the next year. And I’m sure in another 5 or 10 years I’ll be thinking about all the things I wish I’d told myself at age 22, and so on forever. But at the end of the day, I love who I’ve become as a person and that’s all that really matters, right?