There are these big three years that seem to hold tremendous importance in our generation.

Most girls start daydreaming about their sweet sixteen a couple of years prior. That big, grand ballroom with your big ball gown dress and that big cake with sixteen infamous candles you'll spend two months deciding who to dedicate them to.

(This is all hypothetical though--simply what I've heard from those who HAD these grand old parties. You could go exploring London for two weeks with your best friend like I did, but hey--to each their own.)

Eighteen is when we're finally adults! I turned eighteen a few days after first coming to college! How exciting! Officially becoming an adult the day before you begin your undergraduate career!*

*In hindsight it wasn't that bad... I ended up meeting some of my very best friends at school on my birthday, so all and all, it was pretty okay!

Of course, there's 21 as well, but unfortunately for me, I have about a full blown year before I can take all my friends and me to Mahoney's for the Big Two One.

And hey, let's face it: most of us got a thrill to singing Dancing Queen on our seventeenth birthday--it's fine, really, we all did it.

But why does 20 feel so...uneventful? Unimportant?

That sweet spot between childhood and Fullblown Adulthood. You're too old to play dress up and spend the whole day playing outside but too young (for most of us anyway) to buy your own place and live by your own rules (again, some of us get there sooner, nothing wrong with either).

But we all end up feeling a lot older than we do because of all the highs and lows, breakthroughs and breakdowns, and the lessons.

Here are 20 things I've learned by 20:

1. Sunlight is your friend...

I know we all want to bitch about going outside...but literally...you'll feel less sad and you'll more than likely run into people you enjoy! Just try.

2. ...So is the moon, she’s a very good listener.

I can't count the number of times I've needed to rant and no one was there to listen. You probably know this, but the moon you see at 8 p.m. in London is the same moon I see at 2 a.m. in New York! How crazy is that? The moon's seen so much! And as silly as it sounds, doing it outside in the dead of night with the moon watching over you feels comforting. Those who've done it get what I'm talking about (hopefully).

3. The stars and our maps of the universe remind us of our insignificance.

And I promise that the sooner you come to accept that, the more exciting that thought each time you go out and feel you are surrounded by the balls of heat. It’s not so terrifying to know we're really not alone.

4. Taking walks is vital to your mental health.

This is kinda becoming a cliché mental health post, but I started feeling less like an overflowing battery when I made time during the day to take a walk, even if it was just around my dorm building.

5. Waking up early is better...sorry...

I went through a weird phase of being a morning person, not being one (thanks, depression), and then slowly going back to waking up at 8 a.m. every day.

I’m sure many can agree that 24 hours isn’t actually that long, so we should try and make the most of every second we get. Also, you know that feeling you get when you get all this stuff done before noon? Imagine that, but every day.

6. ...So is going to bed early.

Now, don’t be a grandma--do stay up past 8 p.m., but try not to hit the sack at 2 a.m. or even 1 a.m. Your body feels way better when you attempt getting that 7-8 hour sleep deal.

7. Take the time to treat your body right...

Listen. I know how easier said than done this can be. 20-year-olds on average do a lot of unhealthy things to their body, which is forgivable when you make up for it properly. You just got home from a rager? Down a couple of glasses of water so you don’t wake up with a hangover. You don’t want to get drunk within the first hour of your party? Eat a big pizza so you line your stomach and drink water throughout the night. Having water after a good cry fest will rehydrate you. Noticing water is a trend of self-care? Take notes.

8. ...And your mind, especially your mind.

Water doesn't fix everything, but neither does medication. Take time to decompress (the walks!): journaling, painting, playing an instrument, singing, sport--you get the idea.

9. speaking of your mind! Keep learning!

There is literally boundless amounts of things we can learn everyday, take advantage of that!

10. You don’t know everything and that’s okay.

If you haven’t caught on that learning doesn’t stop after college, you might want to step out of your phone. You're learning new things literally every day; our brains never stop learning. Don't you want to take advantage of that at every given chance? To hell if someone says you're too old to pick up a new instrument or even sport. You still have a brain: use it.

11. Friends are the best gift this world has to offer.

Someone once told me you get two families in life: the one you're born into and the one you make along the way. I don't think I believed him then because of where I was in life. But my friends know how much higher they lift me every day, and how I'd be nothing without their love. (If you didn't, well you know now).

12. Parents are not angels. They are kids pretending to be grown-ups...

This was one of the harder truths I learned toward the end of high school. Parent,s most of the time, are scared literally out of their minds about things going wrong, and will sometimes mess up. They can't do everything--no adult can.

13 ... And so are you.

The sooner you accept that you and everybody around you pretty much are just winging life, the less terrified of life you'll be.

14. Sometimes you need to laugh at your hardships.

I'm not afraid anymore to talk about my "rock bottom" event in high school where I pretty much spent the summer before senior year staring at the walls or just sleeping constantly. A while after that, some of the best advice I'd ever received was laughing at your mess of a life. It forces you to take a step back and realize things may not be the end of the world.

15. Never. Stop. Creating.

Art. Music. Poetry. I really couldn't care what it is. If it's something that makes your soul sing, don't ever let it go.

16. You are always restarting.

Every day is another chance to do something you didn't do the day, week or year before.

17. Not everyone can love you the way you think they should. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't love you at all.

Relationships taught me way more about myself than other people. Everybody is different and can't always be the perfect version of them you wanted or were expecting. That doesn't mean they never cared about you.

18. Everybody wakes up fighting their own demons.

Remember this and try to be kinder.

19. Be kinder.

You know how many times I had a shitty day and someone went out of their way to make it better, and I'd instantly feel better? From complimenting a dress or a friend offering their shoulder, just do it. They'll feel better, and thankfully, you might, too.

20. Everything is temporary.

And I mean everything: the people in your life. The job you hate. Your confusing parents. Your partner. You. Everything.

20 years oddly feels like nothing, especially considering the things I haven't done yet, but knowing what I've learned helps me feel more grounded. Hope it does the same for you.