What I've Learned One Year Post-Grad

It has been a little bit over a year since I have graduated from undergrad... In that year, I have gone through a lot of change and a lot of growth. I have laughed, I have loved, I have been challenged, I started graduate school and working in an office and at a newspaper... I have learned more than I ever believed I would in a year and I'm certain that I am better because of it.

Though I could write an entire novel on the different life experiences I have gained from one year, I have cut it down to just 20 tidbits:

1. Seeing friends and making plans require a lot of effort
2. Paying rent hurts, but having a place of my own (that I pay for myself) is one of the best feelings in the world
3. Having great coworkers makes going to work a lot easier
4. I love baking
5. Having good friends is the biggest blessing 
6. Not dating anyone is far better than dating the wrong person
7. Spotify premium (at the student rate) may be a necessity 
8. Having a good landlord is truly a blessing 
9. Having annoying neighbors is just something that happens and there's not much you can do 
10. Going out every weekend is overrated and expensive 
11. I like cats! (I've never had a pet before this year)
12. Budgeting is hard
13. Grad school is not any easier than undergrad for the most part
14. Paying off your credit card every month is hard
15. Having a washer and dryer in my apartment is the biggest luxury ever
16. I do quite well on my own 
17. Going to the grocery store can be turned into a weekend plan that you look forward to 
18. "Making dinner" doesn't happen every night 
19. You must make time for the things you actually enjoy doing
20. Driving 40+ minutes to do something fun is normal 

I daresay I have learned more about the working world, humanity and myself in one year of post graduate living, than in four years of undergrad! This year has definitely been one to shape me and make me even better than I was 365 days ago.