What I Would Tell My 23 Year Old Self

Well, there are a lot of things I would tell myself at 23; newly married, just graduated from college.  Like:

• Working full time is hard, there will be less time to run errands and meet people for coffee
• But the free time at night to do nothing but watch TV will quickly get old, so pick up some hobbies
• Sometimes a degree doesn't mean as much as you thought it did; it better be a degree that's useful
• Remember to keep doing little things to show your husband you love him
• Balancing work, school, and marriage is hard for him too
• Don't forget to keep in touch with your friends.  Just because you're married doesn't mean you can ignore everyone else, even if it was on accident
• Let your husband be himself, let him be free to do what he enjoys, not always what you both agree on

But these are not the main reason for this post.  What I really want to talk about is not to continue waiting for your life to begin.  Don't wait till you are done with college, wait till you have a baby, wait till you get the job you always wanted, wait till you have more money, etc.  My husband has just over a year left of school, we are about to have a baby, and I will be quitting my job in May.  I will be closer to the life I was always waiting for.  I'll be in "the SAHM club."  But now that I look back, I spent the last 3 years just waiting.  Nothing else.  I accomplished a lot and still had fun, but I was always just waiting for real life to begin.  

"Real life" is such a silly term.  What does that really mean?  Life is life.  It's always real.  I don't know if everyone feels this way sometimes or if no one does, but I did.  Maybe that's just part of what happens when you are married and still trying to get through college.  I remember waiting till I could go to high school, then waiting for my first boyfriend, then waiting to graduate college, and waiting to get married.  I guess there's been a lot of waiting for different stages.  So no matter what stage you're in, it's best to just live it up.  Easier said than done, I know.  At the same time, I know that hope for something in the future is important.  It helps us get through what we need to.  Hope should never be taken away.  But wasted time is not going to help anything either.  So there's my two cents, younger me.  :)