2016 was a year full of personal growth, independence and furthering my intellect, but also many, many L's were taken. Here are some of my life lessons to take from 2016.

1. Experiences are greater than materialistic items.

Yes, having a closet full of clothes or a drawer full of makeup makes me one happy camper, but nothing compares to new experiences. Seeing the world and experiencing new perspectives, cultures and ideas beats anything you could wear. Road trips, concerts, date nights, amusement parks, etc. are so much better than clothes and makeup, hands down.

2. My mom is my best friend.

Supporter. Partner in crime. Best friend. Mom. Now that I'm nineteen and (almost) past my bratty stage in life, I've come to realize that my mom means the absolute world to me and without her I have no idea where I'd be today. Oh so sappy, trust me, I'm aware. In the past year she's seen me go to my senior prom, dance on stage for the last time, graduate high school and move 1,000 miles away from her. With her guidance, I know anything is possible in 2017.

Shoutout to Bonbon (my lit mother), if you're reading this, holla at me for our tattoos soon!

3. Joining a sorority isn't a cult.

Never ever ever ever ever did I ever picture myself as a sorority girl, but going through recruitment and finding my home away from home (*tear*, another sappy moment) has been life changing to say the least. No, I don't pay for my friends. In the few short months I've been a part of Sigma Delta Tau at the University of South Florida, not only have I met lifelong friends, but women who do nothing but build me up, encourage and support me, and make me strive to be the best version of myself. They make the hard days easier and the easy days that much better.

Shoutout to any of my sistas reading this, you're truly the best.

4. Tattoos don't define me as a person.

With 2016 being the year I got my first and second tattoos, I've realized that the stigma behind them is completely unjustified. You can wear certain clothes to express yourself or do your makeup a certain way, why can't I get tattoos to express my personality. So here's to planning my next tattoos for 2017.

5. Having space is important.

As I said in my second realization of 2016, my mom is the center of my universe, but she also shares that orbit with my significant other and obviously being away from them while attending college has been difficult, but having space is important. There were some days my first semester when I questioned if moving was the best decision, but then I realized that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Being away doesn't mean I love either of them any less, it just means the time I do spend with them is that much more special.