10 Years Out of High School | What Have I Learned About Myself?

Yep, you read that correctly. In lieu of all high school graduations, it had me thinking about many things. I’ve had my Master’s Degree for three years, my Bachelor’s Degree for five years, and my high school diploma for ten years now. I won’t focus too much on my degrees because that’s a whole different blog post. Having my high school diploma signified the fact that I am an adult… and have been for 10 years now. I’ve also had my driver’s license for 10 years. (That wasn’t significant for this blog post, but interesting to mention.) That also means my high school reunion is coming up this year. MIND BLOWING!

After being out of high school for a decade, I have learned many things about myself. I’ve had great times, I’ve met new people, I’ve struggled, I’ve been grateful, I’ve cried, I’ve failed, I’ve been depressed (which is still a battle sometimes), I’ve felt success, I’ve had a couple of setbacks, I’ve been jealous of others, I’ve been happy, I’ve experienced joy out loud, I’ve felt joy go dormant. Overall, I have grown!

1. Even though you’re an adult now, you’re still dependent as a young adult early on. This is something I learned in my early 20s. (Dang, that’s weird to say.) Between the ages of 18 and 22, you’re still a baby lol. Lemme give you some math to back it up *clears throat and straightens up glasses.*
   • In the United States, you’re not an official adult until you reach 18, correct? So if you’re 18 or 19 years old right now, then you haven’t really experienced life as an adult yet. That also means you’re in for an amazing, yet interesting, journey! If you’re 21 years old, then that means you’ve only been an adult for 3 years now. If you’re 23 years old, then you’ve only been an adult for 5 years. So does that mean you have to have every single thing figured out at this point? Absolutely not! You’re still learning about yourself, and you’re probably struggling a little bit more in your life (if not a whole lot). That also means you’re probably having a lot of fun too, while meeting new people along the way.
2. Your Twenties are your Learning Years. I heard a couple of people say that your 20s are your “struggle years”. I agree to some extent. Claiming that being in your 20s are your “struggle years” gives this idea that you will only struggle in your 20s… which is untrue… I have a secret for you. Are you ready? Okay, here goes: Whether you’re 10 minutes old or 109 years old, whether the struggle is large or petite, you’re going to struggle throughout your years on this earth.
   I prefer to call being in my 20s My Learning Years. Although you’re learning throughout your entire life, you learn a lot more about life as an adult in your 20s. You learn more from your struggles as an 20-something-year-old adult. You may even learn about financial stability, what career works for you, your lifestyle choice, etc. You learn many things in your twenties.
3. You’re kicked off of your parents’ insurance at the tender age of 26. Y’all, that moment in my life told me I was a real adult… like… an ADULT adult!!! I had to learn about insurance and why it’s important. Of course your job offers insurance; but when you’re job doesn’t offer it, or you’re only working a part-time job, or your jobless, baaaaby that reality kicks in quickly!
4. Financial Stability. From college to now, I was always financially responsible as a young adult. Back then my method was very simple: always tithe, don’t get no more than you need out of your bank account, and save whenever you can. When it came to loans being offered to me, I never took out more than I needed. I didn’t get a credit card until I was 26 years old. It wasn’t until I turned 26 that I also had to shift my financial methods. I learned more about what is really coming out of my paycheck every pay period. Did y’all know that it is a law to take Medicaid out of your paycheck, even when you don’t have it? Also, they take 3 different taxes out of your pay check in Ohio: federal, state, and city. It’s four taxes if you don’t work in your city! Nevertheless, tithing still comes first. I still find that using my methods and budgeting is important in this season.
5. Success does not come without some struggle. Whether you like it or not, setbacks will come and struggles will happen! It’s okay to say that you don’t know where you see yourself in 5 years. It’s okay not to have everything figured out with your life right now. It’s okay to allow God to direct your path. It’s okay to have this mindset that you WILL be college debt free and work towards that reality! As long as I’m happy in my journey, then that’s all that matters to me.
6. Young, Dope, Fly, and Saved. Based on old journal entries, my Christian journey started as a senior in high school. (By the way, reading those journal entries were so nostalgic.) I grew up going to church, singing in the choir, and being a part of anything that has to do with my friends. I’ve only came to church to sing and learn about Jesus with my church friends up until then. As a senior in high school, I made the decision to learn about Jesus for myself. My mindset shifted from something I have to do to something that I want to do. So when I went to college, I read different chapters of the Bible in my dorm room and wrote down what I thought it meant. I attended Sunday School and Bible Studies (both at my church and in college) for guidance. I still was active at my church and I still am to this day. I even took a Bible course in college (which was weird and uncomfortable at times, but I persevered). I surrounded myself with different believers from different walks of life in a college choir. Those times with them were so raw and unorthodox.
   I miss those times.
   I still feel like I’m learning and always will. Being a Christian is never a perfect journey and you don’t have everything figured out. It’s forever a journey. I learned that being a Christian doesn’t equate to perfection and it definitely doesn’t equate to being a nun (which is a different religion and belief btw). It’s okay to be Young, Dope, Fly, and Saved all at the same time! You can go out and have fun while giving God praise and worship on Sunday and Wednesday, being active in the church, reading the Bible often, and praying often. Just be careful of your actions and beware of your surroundings.
7. Self-Care is so important! Often times I can get so caught up with work, being active in the church (in and out of it), and tutoring that I don’t always take time to check in with myself. I’m learning to take care of myself and that I don’t have to do everything. It’s okay to say NO sometimes!
8. Hanging out with your parent(s) as an adult can be fun. If you know me then you already know that my mom is my ride or die. She doesn’t go to a lot of places without me and I don’t mind going. At the same time, I absolutely love my dad. Y’all, having a drink and dancing with your parents is really a thing. Once you get used to it, it’s not weird at all lol. I’ve learned to cherish these moments with my parents because life is way too short.

I can go on and on about what I’ve learned in 10 years, but I’ll stop right here. At 28 years old, (as I’ve mentioned before) I don’t have everything figured out and I’m still learning. I enjoyed my earlier young adult years and loved my college years! But if I’m honest, I don’t think I fully enjoyed life until I graduated from college. I find myself getting out more and traveling more. Through it all, I’m grateful for my journey and I look forward to what comes next.

~Live Laugh Love~