A lot of people come to me, and ask, "What are some things you have learned over the past eighteen years?" and it did not come across my mind how much stuff I have learned, and had done.

1. When you are tragic, not very many things will beat a night crashing into the city with your closest companion singing old music as loud as possible. Also, grab yourself some cheddar fries. Thins might be kind of bad, but you deserve food.

2. Carbs are beautiful, so eat them. Nothing is cute about starving yourself.

3. Not every situation deserves a reaction. If someone says something bad about you then screw them.

4. Because somebody says they cherish you, doesn't mean they won't clear out. Furthermore, in light of the fact that somebody leaves doesn't mean they don't love you. They simply adore themselves more.

5. You will rack up 20 tardies, your friends will fight with you for losing your mind, and you will be sleep deprived for 2 months. But you will never regret the nights you spent sneaking out with the beautiful boy to drive around until the sun came up. You won’t regret a single second you spent with him, even after he breaks your heart.

6. If a boy pressures you into ANYTHING, especially sex, he does not love you. And if he says he can’t be public with you because of his “parents” he’s lying. He can’t be with you in public because he’s cheating on you with three other girls. Burn his hoodie, and move on. You’re gonna meet the love of your life in 2 months anyway.

7. Don’t fall for someone because of words. If a boy calls you perfect, run in the other direction. No one is perfect, so he’s already lying, which is what he will do for the next 7 months.

8. School is important, but it is not that important. That AP credit is not as important as your mental health, so when you start having anxiety attacks over it then drop it for TA next semester. You’ll learn a lot more about life from the 60 year old school registrar than you will in that AP biology course.

9. When you keep your personal life secret, people will assume and start rumors. It’s going to upset you at first, but after a while you will find it funny because what you were actually doing was far worse than what they fabricated.

10. Being angry with God will not bring your best friend back from the dead. And neither will crying over a song or a picture of them. But you cry, you cry every night at 3 AM if you need to because it is okay to be sad about someone being ripped from your life for no reason. You never have to accept that.

11. Your parents may be rough with you, and you may be unhappy, but let them in. They are trying hard for you.

12. Don’t miss a basketball game or football game, ever. A year from now you will miss cheering on your best friends in the stands surrounded by the people you love. You’ll miss jamming in the car on the way to all the away games. You’ll miss that game where he asked you to come sit with him.

13. Driving on ice is scary, but you need to learn how to do it so let him teach you. You’ll make a lot of memories that night.

14. When he says that he loves you, he means it. And that boy needs you. He will push you away, and put you through hell. But a year from now he will still be a part of your life and don’t you dare give up on him. Its rare that you find someone that feels like home, and don’t ever give up on that.

15. Alcohol fixes nothing. In fact it broke a door last May. Don’t drink when you’re sad. Nothing is more of a party foul then crying while sitting in a sink and leaving sobbing voicemails on his phone.

16. The best friends you have now are family. You won’t lose touch with a single one of them when you go to college because they are the real deal. But you will miss them like hell, so spend every waking moment with them.

17. You’re going to find that going to college 1,200 miles away was the biggest mistake you have ever made. You will be so homesick you actually become physically and mentally ill for 2 months. Go home.

18. It’s okay not to have your life figured out by eighteen. No one has it all together. And if they claim they do they are probably lying.