What would you tell your younger self?

(The one where Aubrey Plaza gives me all the feels)

On a friend’s recommendation, I watched My Old Ass, a dramedy featuring Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza. It’s currently streaming for free on Amazon Prime.

They matched vibes so well

The premise is fairly simple: 18-year-old Elliott (played with aplomb by Maisy Stella) takes some psychedelic mushrooms with two friends and ends up hallucinating (or not? The speculative elements aren’t clearly defined) a 39-year-old version of herself (played with signature sarcasm by Aubrey Plaza). Older Elliott has one big piece of advice: stay away from anyone named Chad.

I won’t spoil the rest of the movie. It’s deeply nostalgic and funny and a tear-jerker in the best way. I cannot recommend it enough.

But it also made me think about what I would tell my younger self if I had the chance.

Some things are obvious…

1. Don’t ever, ever go to a fake tanning salon. You are way too pale to pretend to be tan.

2. Stop wasting time worrying about what people think of you. Being your most authentic self will draw the right people to you. (Still working on this one).

3. Break up with [redacted] as soon as he shows his true colors. Don’t wait until the emotional abuse is blatant.

4. Travel more.

5. Sunscreen. Retainer. Floss.

The more I thought about it, even the negative experiences taught me something. Sure, it would’ve been great not to have wasted over a year with [redacted] but would I have understood what a good relationship felt like if I hadn’t hit rock bottom with him? Would I have appreciated how safe and cherished my husband makes me feel if I hadn’t felt unsafe first?

Our lives are a collection of events and the stories we tell ourselves about them. We can choose to learn and grow from them, or continue the pattern.

So, upon reflection, I wouldn’t change much except to slow down and really experience it all. I have a tendency to want to fast forward to the “good part.” But there are great parts all the time if you pause long enough to enjoy them.

I’m curious. If you could tell your younger self something, what would it be?

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What I’m Reading

Layne Fargo’s The Favorites is an epic love story about two ice dancers and the lengths they will go to win gold. It’s such a wild ride. I loved all the twists and turns and the Daisy Jones-esque interstitials. I’ve also heard it’s amazing on audio if that’s more your jam.

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What I’m Cooking

I made Gaby’s Cabbage Salad for our Superbowl party, which was a big hit. The best part about a cabbage salad is that it gets better the more the dressing soaks into the leaves, so it was the perfect thing to have for the entire game.