I remember this one day when I was in kindergarten. It was almost summer vacation, and three of my teacher's old students came to visit her. They were probably juniors or seniors in high school and I could not wrap my head around how grown-up they were. They were so tall, they wore makeup and they could even drive. In that moment, being 17-years-old seemed unbelievable. But then birthdays came quicker than expected. A few years later and I was finally in the double digits (the big 1-0). Sooner after that, I was officially a teenager. Birthdays number 14, 15, 16, and finally, 17 came around. Turning 18 was cool, but there's not much besides being able to buy a lotto ticket to add to your list options. So, I started daydreaming about 21.

When I was at the peak of my teenage years, turning 21-years-old didn't even seem real. For someone who had just recently got their license, got their braces off, and whose biggest concern was who they're taking to homecoming, being a real, legal adult seemed so far away. Now, here I am, a little less than two weeks away from this age I've been anticipating for nearly a decade. And it's not really what I expected.

I really thought I would have everything in my life together at 21. Adorable thinking, 12-year-old Shireen, adorable. I honestly thought I would be really tall (I associated height with age, I guess), have my hair cut into a bob, carry a briefcase (???) and have moved out of my parents' house. Um, I'm a hard 5-foot-4, am afraid to have my hair cut shorter than my shoulders, have never owned a briefcase in my life, and am currently writing this from my parent's house, with my room here still fully intact.

Being 21 really is the official mark of adulthood, but just because we all are nearing this age/recently turned it, doesn't mean we're automatically submerged in all of the official duties that come with it. For example: buying a briefcase. I only realized that turning this age wouldn't be all I so highly expected when I turned 20, and it's now I wish I could go back nine years and tell my little self to calm the hell down.

1. Enjoy the age you are now. You'll never be it again.
2. The movies aren't real, high school is seriously nothing like what you saw in "Mean Girls." And Hilary Duff is way older than she should be for playing a middle-schooler in "Lizzie McGuire." Know that.
3. You are wrong; mom and dad are always right. I know, so annoying.
4. The people who call your best friends will change a lot, with the exception of two or three. Those are special people.
5. You're never going to get that bob haircut, I'm sorry. Maybe at 40. Maybe.
6. And that briefcase thing is not going to happen at 21. Still not sure where you got that.
7. No, you're not fat compared to that girl.
8. It's okay to think about the future, but don't get too wrapped up in something you're not (like being an "adult", whatever that means).
9. By the way, there are real-life adults who are still figuring themselves out.
10. But it is great to figure out what hobbies really make you happy, because you could make that a job one day.
11. You're going to have to work really, really hard to make your dreams and aspirations come true, but it's doable.
12. School is important, no matter how dumb you think that homework assignment is.
13. Study habits are a real thing, so turn off the TV and do your work.
14. It's okay to ask for help when you don't understand something. You're 12, you don't know it all.
15. On that note, your parents will always see you as a baby, no matter how old. So get used to it.
16. On that same note, you really don't need a cell phone right now. Enjoy that freedom while you still can.
17. Yes, your brother is annoying, but you're stuck with him forever. One day, you might even enjoy hanging out!
18. You will get everything you want in due time. Just wait on it.
19. Trust your gut. That feeling isn't a lie.
20. I know it seems so far away, but the years are going to fly by so fast you won't even believe it.
21. Enjoy every single experience of your preteen/teenage/young adult years. You have no idea how much fun you're about to have.