I have an older brother, and I remember when I was a junior, one of his friends told me that after you leave high school, none of it matters. I think it's really obnoxious when you're dealing with a breakup whenever someone (inevitably and frequently) says you'll get over them, and there are more fish in the sea. Fuck you. Here's what I'd offer to anyone struggling with a break-up: yes, it hurts, yes, it's hard, yes, it's significant. But, and this is especially true if you're a teenager, in a decade it won't matter. Not because it's not a big deal, it is a big deal, but because you will be a completely different person, and that person will be completely out of the reach of the power of this moment.

Also, and this is huge, adults for the most part have no fucking idea what they're doing either, so don't worry so much about figuring it out. You'll be a lot happier once you realize that.

I'm 33. I decided I can still stay young. I mountain bike, I skateboard, I snowboard, I rock climb, and it's good that I started doing those things relatively recently, honestly, because 20-year-old me was a fucking idiot and probably would have died. As it is, I got a pretty bad break that still affects my daily life. Do I regret it? Hell no. Why would our bones heal if they weren't meant to be broken from time to time?

So yeah, rock climbing taught me one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned: life is tough, sure, but a lot of tough and scary things are absolutely fucking awesome when you face them down on your own terms. And always remember: if you're not failing, then you're not trying hard enough.