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GL is hitting the big 2-0 this year! Here's what we've learned (so far)


This year marks the 20th anniversary of GL. In some ways, it feels like two decades went by in a flash. But in other ways, when I look at all the magazine covers that line our office walls and think about the millions of girls whose lives we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, it feels like forever.

To say things have changed from when we started in 1994 is putting it mildly. There was no worldwide interwebs. No such thing as social media (gasp!). No smart phones (double gasp!). Honestly, those days are almost as unimaginable to me as they probably are to you.

But in other ways, things have changed, well, hardly at all.

Twenty years later, it still stinks when you get into a major fight with your BFF. And when the guy you like doesn’t like you back. And when you don’t get the part you wanted (or spot on the team or solo in the performance).

Twenty years later, cramps still exist. Boobs never seem quite the right size. And we’re still solving “down there” mysteries for girls who need to know just what the heck is going on.

There’s a lot of debate over whether paper magazines will always exist (sorry, digital, but I think they will—there’s just something special about holding an issue and flipping those pages).

But what I am certain will always be around are girls who need a place they can go to get advice they can trust. And for two decades, we’ve been that place. So in honor of our anniversary year, from now until we celebrate our big 2-0 in August/September, I’ll be breaking down the best 20 Things I’ve Learned at GL in 20 Years.

Here are the first five...

20. Celebrities aren’t that different from the rest of us. They put their pants on one leg at a time. I know this because after 20 years of celeb shoots, I’ve watched most of them do it. I’ve also seen them blow their noses, inhale pizza, put on zit cream and, once, I even had to loan a celeb my bra (don’t ask).

19. Celebs are different from the rest of us. Nine times out of 10, being famous as a teen doesn’t make you lucky, it makes you a weirdo (check out any gossip mag for proof). Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday real, real soon.

18. You can get six-pack abs. Just eat good-for-you foods, do cardio and focus on your workouts. And if you’re blessed with naturally bangin’ curves? Love those instead because some flat-ab girl is envious of you. Bottom line: Everyone seems to want what they don’t have.

17. And that goes for you curly-haired girls, too. And you girls who are tall, petite, blond, brunette, blue-eyed, brown-eyed, blah blah blah. Have I made my point yet?

16. You can always learn something new about yourself. You also can make the same mistakes over and over if you want. Opt for the former because tomorrow is another day…why not make it a better one?

XO Karen

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by Karen the Editor | 2/1/2016
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