Very soon, I will be turning 21, which is SO exciting! I've been looking forward to my 21st birthday for a really long time. Twenty-one is one of the final "milestone" birthdays, so I feel like I should've learned and grown a lot by now. However, there is a lot that I still haven't really learned, many of which I wish I would've.

1. How to let go of toxic friendships.

I have a tendency to hold onto people for way too long, even when they're bad for me. This is because I hate making other people feel like shit, to put it quite simply, so I allow people who are toxic to me to stick around.

2. How to drive well enough to have my license.

Although I can drive (and can do so pretty well), I still don't have my license. This is coming this summer, but I really wish I would've gotten my license before I could legally drink.

3. How to pick out the best shade of foundation for my skin tone.

This is the ultimate struggle, right ladies?

4. How to budget my money.

Specifically how to not blow so much money on my weekends out with friends.

5. How to NOT cry every time I'm faced with criticism.

Every time anyone says anything even slightly mean or critical to me, I cry. And it drives me absolutely crazy.

6. How to NOT get anxiety every time I have to make a simple phone call.

I'm talking like, full-on shaking and near breakdown anxiety. It's really bad, and I wish I had a better grip on it.

7. How to make the first move & ask a guy on a date.

And by date, I don't mean Netflix and chill or sending "u up?" texts myself. I mean actually asking a guy on a real date, and planning it out, and making the best move for my love life.

8. How to wake up every morning with enough time to look like a functioning human AND eat breakfast.

Usually I can get one or the other, but never both.

9. To schedule phone calls home into my life more often.

My family loves to hear from me more than the two-hour monthly updates I tend to give. Calling home once a week, or even every other week, would keep that communication and love open when I needed it most.

10. How to be authentically confident in myself.

Yeah, I'm fake confident. I said it. So many people ask me how I'm able to be so confident all the time and the truth is it's all me playing the "fake it 'till I make it" game. In my next few years, I hope to transfer this fake confidence that I'm overflowing with to actual confidence.

11. Stop napping so much.

Naps are great, but I'm literally sleeping my life away.

12. Remember that at the end of the day, no one cares if you go to that party or not.

I am about to be a senior in college and I STILL get FOMO. This is getting ridiculous.

13. How to say "no" and NOT feel bad about it.

Yeah, I can say no, but every time I do I feel the need to explain myself for days or I just feel really awful for turning someone down. Truth is, I shouldn't be overexplaining my "no" or feeling bad for saying it because no really does mean no.

14. To take pictures every day.

I never take enough pictures! And while my memories are great, sure, having those photos to hold onto forever would be even better.

15. How to not take everything so personally.

I take everything as a personal attack, even when nine times out of ten it isn't.

16. How to cook a decent meal.

Right now I'm a pro at Ramen or cereal, but that is only going to get me so far. I wish I knew how to cook up something damn good.

17. How to take good care of myself & my health.

I've improved DRASTICALLY lately in taking better care of myself and making the best health moves, but I still have a lot of room to grow.

18. How to small talk better with strangers.

I'm the WORST at small talk. I just get awkward and run out of things to say.

19. How to NOT let people walk all over me.

I'm a pretty nice person, and with being a nice person typically comes being walked all over. I hate saying no and I hate disappointing people, which typically means I'm allowing these people to walk all over me.

20. How to control my anxiety better.

Some days my anxiety is an absolute mess.

21. How to authentically enjoy every moment of my life.

I'm lucky enough to have this amazing life, now all I need is to enjoy every moment of it.

Here's to lots of learning and growth in my next twenty-one years!