(no subject)

Things I wish someone had told me when I was younger:

You won't feel like this forever.  Hormone levels drop, emotions wane.  Eventually, you'll be able to breathe. 

Whatever you're imagining probably won't come to pass, good or bad.  Ease off the dread.  The worst possible thing almost never happens. 

You'll never feel like you're grown up, so don't worry about it. 

Romance isn't necessary to enjoy life.  Some people simply aren't suited to pairing off.  You can manage alone quite nicely, and no, it's not aberrant, no matter what some people would like you to think. 

Buy more bookshelves. 

Nothing lasts forever, not even your oldest friendships.  Quit living in the past. 

If you act confident enough, people tend not to question you.  You can pull off the most astonishing fakes this way. 

Sometimes you will meet people who speak your language but whom you can barely understand, and they you.  Remember to rephrase and ask questions. 

You will never be good/smart/driven enough to achieve your career dreams.  Set them aside, and spend your energy on something more practical. 

For some inscrutable reason, you will never get the tune to "McNamara's Band" out of your head, even when you can no longer remember the lyrics beyond the first two lines. 

Regret is a part of being alive, but keep it a small part.