32 things I'd tell my 13 year-old self

Don't give up on piano. You'll think that 7 years of lessons will mean you'll always be able to play. You'll think you will be able to pick it up again any time you want. You'll be wrong both times. And it would be really really cool to be a grown up who is really really good at one thing.

Mom knows everything that's going on. You are not sneaky, and she is very aware.

You're going to spend parts or your teens and twenties curious if there is a faith system or religion that suits you. You'll try Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism... until you realize you're not meant for any of them. And that's OK.

Love your boobs. They are nice boobs.

Don't get rid of your crummy boom box. Every time you upgrade to better technology you listen to less music.

Just because something is said in Spanish, by a Spaniard, doesn't make it sexy.

Be nice to your skin. And hats are not dorky, they are really cool. So wear one whenever you're in the sun for any extended period of time. Current me would appreciate fewer spots and wrinkles, thank you very much. And while we're on the subject, you don't look great when you are tan anyway. Feel free to bypass that whole spay tan phase you go through in your early 20s.

Where you grew up is actually a very beautiful place. You're lucky to have Redwood Valley as a home base.

Take more audio and/or video of grandma and grandpa. And when you do... save the tapes somewhere you will always know where to find them. And tell them you love them. lots.

A lot of the things Jason told you growing up were wrong. On purpose. He was messing with you, it's what brothers do... some of them. Wearing socks to bed will not cause gangrene. Don't spread that information like its fact. People will think you're dumb.

Boys who act angstful and tortured are not more profound. They are just teenagers. And once you are no longer a teenager too, they will seem silly.

Keep reading! I've gotten a lot of milage out of you having your nose stuck in a book every night.

Don't start any sentence with the words "By the time I'm 30 I'll..."

Be happy you are tall. Don't slouch. And tell everyone who thinks you should be good at basketball to bugger off. You're good at lots of other things. Sports with balls will never be your thing. But if you insist on doing the volleyball thing anyway, take off your damn medic-alert bracelet before games. It took a good 10 years for that scar to fade away.

Don't ever smoke. It really is gross.

You're going to miss your window to try LSD- everyone else you know will be over it by the time you want to to 'trip'. And then you'll get over it too. And that's probably a very good thing.

Ask your parents before adopting any puppies. They will get stuck with them.

You've got a smoking hot bod. I know I shouldn't say that to a 13 year old, but I think it's OK, because you're me. Just know, that once you allow that "freshman 15" to hang around, you are opening the door for the "first-office-job-15" and the "I'm-going-back-to-school-15" and then "I'm-married-now-15" and your hot bod will be covered in fat. Take up running now, maybe you'll acquire a love of it by the time you're old.

A perm is always a bad idea.

Stop lecturing Dad on the grossness of eating meat. He is never going to be a vegetarian and you're just annoying him. Don't throw away the ham he buys for his lunches. It's wasteful and bratty and weird.

Most of the stuff that Jason tries to show you- music, books, shows- are actually pretty great. NKOTB is not better than DEVO. That said, it's OK to like what you like too.

Work at keeping your friends. They are worth the effort. And it gets harder when you're older to find people as great as them.

Every guy you ever date is going to be appalled that you haven't seen Star Wars and they are all going to want to sit you down and watch them with you. But save yourself for Matt. You're gonna marry him, so let him be the one to take you to a "galaxy far far away...". This is not a euphemism for sex, I'm really talking about Star Wars.

And try reading a fantasy novel. They are not just for dorks, and you don't have to limit your reading to classics to seem smart. Fantasy is fun and adventurous. One series in particular will enter your life in a few years and make it better. But, feel free to steer clear of vampire romances, they're not that well written and they'll kind of depress you.

Every person on the planet farts. And poops. And pees and burps and sweats and pukes, etc. Don't make a big deal about it.

Things like grades and credit scores follow you around, even when you don't think they matter yet.

Right now, you think you hate olives, but once you try them- good ones, not the crappy black ones from the can- you'll change your mind. Same goes for strong cheese. And wine, but you can hold off on that discovery for a bit.

You are pretty good at getting what you want- you're smart, and resourceful and determined... but take more time to really figure out what you want before you go after it.

Celebrate Christmas. Even if you're not into the religious stuff. Even if you're broke. Even if your man is Jewish. Seriously... decorating a Christmas tree is always a good thing.

Your Italian roots are cool, yes. But you're only ever going to be 25% Italian. Sorry. Embrace the English/ Welsh & German/Dutch parts too. These cultures seem cooler when you get older.

It's OK to do things in your own time, in your own order, and in a way that works for you. There's no one right way to go through life... getting jumbled and mixed up is fine. Sometimes it is even fun.

You know how people tell you that since your hair is so fair, if you never start shaving your legs you'll never have to? I'm cool with you testing that theory.

The only picture I have of 13 year old me