S/O: A good decision you made at 18

brightning

What's something you did that was wise beyond your years?

PaigeC1981

Moving out of my parents' house and going away to college.  Granted, it was only an hour away, but it really made me grow up, and yes, appreciate them more too. 

brightning

I knew I had to get out of my family's house, so I went to college in a state I'd never set foot in until the day I moved in - never even visited the school. Best decision I ever made. That college made me the person I am today.

moroccojade

Applying for a part time job at my university.  (Got it!  And it gave rise to a good FT job between degrees.) 

Spending a lot of my free time volunteering at the hospital.   Since I withdrew my application to med school so I could go to seminary, I'm glad I was able to do some meaningful work on a lot of different wards.  I still get some regrets and ask 'what if?' -- but at least I had some good years volunteering.

Mysterious_wife

Moved in with DH. I turned 18 in March and stayed at his house on the weekends until mid summer.  I moved in July of that year, got a job traveling, and worked my butt off.  My mother would have never let me get the job.  I have been more places with that job, than I could ever do on my own. I learned a lot.  I appreciate college more, now.  If I would have went to college at 18, I am afraid I would have goofed off and not got the education I am getting now.  This alone has made DH and I decide not to make Allie go on to college, if she chooses not to.

Mrs.Hubbard

Taking a chance and going on a blind date with the man I would marry 6 years later

brittneycc1982

Mrs.Hubbard:

Taking a chance and going on a blind date with the man I would marry 6 years later

Aww!

annak23

Kept a long distance relationship through college with my boyfriend, who turned out to become DH.

howleyshell

To decline my acceptance at a highly competitive college dance program.

I ate, slept and breathed dance.  It was how I defined myself at that age.  IT was sooo hard to let go of that identity and step into a world where I had no clue who I was or what I wanted to be.

I still don't really know what I want to be but I'm confident that majoring in dance would not have been in my best interest on so many levels.

I spent years preparing for that audition with that singular goal in mind.  I'm still stunned I walked away! 

Dani123

Bought my 1st house at 19!!

momofolivia

wow- Dani - impressive!

Mine would be taking a series of leaps of faith by relocating with my first company three times to cities where I knew no one and really had to rely on myself.  The last place I moved - a very difficult decision - I met DH.

May524

annak23:

Kept a long distance relationship through college with my boyfriend, who turned out to become DH.

Same here!

MamaNikki

Forcing my friend to go to the authorities after she was horrifically sexually assaulted when we were 18.

AshlynsMom

Studied abroad when everyone was telling me to stay.  I did some amazing (and often solo!) traveling while I was there.

Paid off my credit card every month.  What a super good habit.

ali2005jason

To stay in high school and get my diploma after I had Caleb at 17. I even graduated 3 months early with honors (I finished 3 months early but walked at graduation with everyone with Caleb sitting in the crowd. I was full of tears that day). I then went onto college but decided that school wasn't for me. It took me until 2008 to finally graduate college with my associates degree from a school I really loved. When I graduated college, I had both of my children in the audience. I am very proud of that

neverblushed

2 things, neither of which seem that earth-shattering, but both helped cement me as an adult in my mind and in my parents' minds:

1. Told off my dad when he really overstepped his bounds about a summer job I had.  Long story short, my dad owned his own plumbing business and one of his clients had a huge swimming pool.  He did the plumbing for the pool, and the old lady who owned the pool offered me a summer job during college taking care of it.  It was a big responsibility, with obvious benefits, but also with the drawback of being dog-eyed by my dad about the whole thing.  I finally had a huge blowout argument with my dad and reminded him that Mrs. F was my boss, not him, and to BACK OFF!  He's respected me as an adult since that time.

2. Changed my major from biology to English, despite the fact that my parents were really gung-ho about me majoring in biology and despite the fact that they were scraping together money to pay for my college. They were convinced I'd never get a job if I majored in English.  I knew from about December of my first semester that I should not major in biology and that I wanted English.  It was the first "big girl" life decision I made totally independently.  Now, I'm an English teacher and I'm very, very happy in my career.

mgrulke

staying a virgin.

abpdjs

finally breaking it off with my first love - he was going nowhere and i wanted more.