You did it; you finished high school! As you probably remember, I’m not a fan of unsolicited advice, but I tend to take the liberty when it comes to my current and former students. Lucky you! Here are seven pro tips from adulting and traveling that may actually help your life. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think, even if you’re not graduating today.
Keep your flip-flops handy. What will you do if you’re ever visiting one of those “no-shoes-inside” homes that doesn’t have carpet or rugs, has a perpetually wet bathroom floor, or consistently has something squishy, hard, or viscous on the kitchen tile? Make sure to pack your chanclas!
Tap into your tidy. Maybe you’ll have a roommate for the first time, or you’ll be living with a partner. Many of them will not want to live in your mess. Congratulations if you end up abiding with someone who honestly doesn’t care. If that’s the case, you truly dodged one because when one adult is constantly cleaning up after another, this seemingly small detail can become a big deal.
Commit to rest. Arí still takes two naps a day, and when he misses one or God forbid both, the meltdown can be ferocious. Most of us adults don’t need two naps a day, but a practice of all work and no rest might make you someone that others try to avoid. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor, sleep at least seven hours at night and maybe even tack on a short siesta during the day.
Save some. When I first started working full time, I felt flush with cash. It’s better to start saving money early in some sort of high-yield savings or retirement account. A little bit can grow to a large sum over time, so pick a percentage to save and take that off the top of every check.
Learn a language. Fluently speaking another language will literally open up the world to you. Travel will help you find immersion opportunities to practice your speaking and listening skill, and who knows, maybe you’ll find a life-long friend in a culture outside of the one in which you were born.
Keep in touch with people you care about. High school friendships will become harder to maintain the farther that you get away from today’s celebration. I’m sure that a few of you did a little internal back flip thinking about how you may never see certain faces ever again. Just keep in mind that when you do meet your people, intentionality will be key to staying connected.
Don’t stop dreaming. Work, social expectations, and general adult responsibilities have a way of sapping your creativity. Seek work situations that give you space to imagine new possibilities and ways of being. Life is simply too short to stay feeling stuck, especially since you often have more agency than you know.
Above all else, remember that there are many folks out there who love you and are cheering for you to be the best version of you. Feel free to call, text, or email if you ever need a reminder. I’m one of your biggest fans.
Peace,
Alan