Things I've Learned in the Past Year...

in no particular order:

• Always, always, always have renter's insurance. You might think your house will never get broken into, but you may find one morning your tv, MacBook, work laptop, watches, external hard drive, and car gone forever Aaron Hernandez.
• Cloud storage is an amazing technology that I wish I had utilized fully so when my external hard drive and laptop were stolen, I wouldn't have lost as many photos, graphic design files, and school projects that I did.
• People use chairs, trashcans, you name it to save "their" parking spot where they shoveled out their car after the blizzard. They may slash your tires if you take their claimed spot (all of which is technically illegal in Baltimore, but still happens).
• In a given week, you might change your life goals twenty times and doubt all your major life choices at the same time.
• Just like TV shows depict, there are some weird, yet cool dudes that are part of the crime lab.
• Don't leave anything out because your puppy will find, destroy, and consume it.
• Do not stay in the city if there's a blizzard in the forecast. Leave and go somewhere tropical or for a more realistic option, go to your parents' house where taxes are higher and therefore, roads are cleared sooner.
• Pet insurance will help you out with all the outrageously expensive vet bills.
• Insurance is just an awesome thing in general.
• The Harris Teeter in Canton has better prices than Safeway. Avoid Shoppers at all costs, even if it was walk-able from your row home in Federal Hill.
• Always have a referral from your primary care physician when you visit a specialist, even if you think you don't need one.

There you have it. These are just some of the many life lessons I learned this past year.