18 Life Lessons I’d Give My 18-Year-Old Self


I started writing my blog when I was a few months shy of 18 years old. Since I’m now twice as old as I was when I started, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on advice I wish I could have given my younger self. Most dating advice for young men is terrible. One of the most misunderstood is the recommendation to “act confident.” Pretending to be confident when you’re not usually makes you look like a jerk or a buffoon. In contrast, genuinely confident people tend to be relaxed. People who deliberately choose to live abroad for a year are more interesting, on average, than those who are closed to such experiences. Exchange students also tend to be looking to make friends. (This also is a good way to get more opportunities to apply lesson #3.)

Being shown around by a local is vastly better than being a tourist. This is doubly true if you make friends with people from non-touristy places. I spent too many years eating terrible food because I didn’t know how to make good meals. The remedy is to find recipes online and follow them to the letter. Eventually you can improvise once you’ve learned the basics.My biggest mistake in university was choosing to take classes in English, not French, during my year abroad. I was worried I wouldn’t keep up academically, so I chose the easier option. I didn’t realize I was also missing out on the best way to learn the language.