The Jules Rules

I turn 22 tomorrow and I have no idea what I'm going to do with the rest of my life ... but I know how I'm gonna live it. Do you ever feel like you've been dropped into the plot of a novel written by someone who gets off on excel spreadsheets and listens exclusively to royalty-free violin covers?  When I find myself slipping into this ever-familiar pit of tedium, I often think back on something one of my sisters said: "If you were reading a book, and the main character was you, what would you want her to do?" Close your eyes and think of your favorite book character. Got it? Great. Now imagine how dull their story would be if they were too scared to buckle up and LIVE. If Jo March married for money, Elle Woods worked in retail,  Tris went abnegation,   if Belly chose  ✨ summer ✨ over Conrad or Jeremiah . It's a horrifying thought, and these are fictional characters! As the one and only author of your own life, you need to start holding yourself to the same sta...

What  happens when a year of soul-crushing depression suddenly turns into a one-way ticket to Key West? Picture this: your life is everything you want it to be and more. You're a junior studying Film/Media at Florida State University. You get drunk at frat parties, make oddly controversial short films with your friends, and run the main university social pages for $14.50/hour (which doesn't matter, seeing as your parents foot most of your bills). Your apartment is massive, with a balcony overlooking the hottest bars in town. Absolutely nothing can slow you down.  Except a 65 year old college advisor named Jim Old.  I actually quite liked Jim. Our sessions would often go well over the allotted 1 hour of time as we discussed my future, hopes, and dreams. On this particular occasion, though, I wanted to punch him in the neck. It went something like this: Jim Old: "You're out of classes to take. You should graduate early." Me: "Okay absolutely n...