On August 31^st, I am turning 21. This is a pretty momentous occasion for most; after all, you can now legally drink (not that a legal requirement stops many). For me, however, it just feels like a long time to be alive. I’ve lived through N’Sync, Y2K, Britney and Justin’s all-denim ensembles, The Reckoning, and most recently the #KimExposedTaylorParty. I’ve seen Beyoncé in concert twice and never broken a bone (but torn a ligament in my knee in half). I’ve lived with the monkeys in the mountains of India and gone to the most beautiful college in the United States. It’s been a wild ride and I’ve loved every second—except maybe my entire middle school experience, but that’s a different story.

This year, however, my birthday will be different. Usually, on my big day I wake up, eat my favorite breakfast, go shopping, see a movie, go out to a fancy dinner—do whatever I can to make my birthday stand out a little bit from the rest of my 365 days in a year. This year, the clock will strike midnight while I am on a plane to London as I head across the pond to study abroad for the next four months. As many, many people have pointed out, my twenty-first won’t be a big deal over there because you can legally drink at eighteen. But to me, that’s not what my twenty-first is all about. Yes, upon my return to school, it will be nice to no longer rely on older friends to supply for a party, but as I head into this next chapter of my life, it feels symbolic to me that I’ll be on a plane, literally flying towards the next leg of my journey.

Birthdays are a big deal to me. I love fresh starts and new beginnings and a chance to start over. But they’re also a time to reflect on how the past has been so great or so awful or however you choose to see your life experience. For me? Well, I think my life has been pretty darn great. I’ve laughed and lived and loved and learned and I am hopefully that I have many more years ahead of me. As of now, though, I have twenty-one years that have packed a lot of life lessons. With twenty-one years under my belt, here are twenty-one things I’ve learned in twenty-one years:

People suck.

People are always going to put themselves first and that could mean betraying you or undermining you or hurting you in some great way.

But there are some great people out there.

But there are those people that continually put others first and make this world the beautiful place it can be, if we all take what little love we have in our hearts and put it forth into the universe.

There is no heartbreak that chocolate cannot fix.

Boys and girls alike are absolutely daft when it comes to relationships and will break each other’s hearts. It happens to the best of us. But chocolate is the best glue to mend a broken heart.

Try new foods.

Don’t be picky. Even if it looks gross, there’s a chance it will be delicious. Put aside your preferences and just try it.

Travel. Everywhere.

Traveling teaches you lessons you could never hope to learn in the confines of a classroom. Save up for a plane ticket and start ticking places off your bucket list.

Read.

Next time you reach for your phone, consider reaching for a book instead. You’ve only got one life to live and you might as well spend it doing things that are good for you.

Exercise is the worst—but so worth it.

No, I can’t say that at any point in my life I’ve “enjoyed” a CorePower Sculpt yoga class where I essentially sweat out every ounce of fluid in my body out of every single pore, but feeling that achy soreness in my (meager) muscles afterward is the best.

Allow yourself cheat days.

Yes, we all strive to be healthy and have bodies like a Victoria’s Secret angel, but don’t kill yourself just because you had a slice of cake or a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. You are human; allow yourself to live how you want.

Dogs are the best.

They’re furry, they’re cuddly, and they’re undyingly loyal. What’s not to love?

If you drink too much and make a few mistakes, don’t worry.

Chances are, there will be some new drama in the next twenty-four hours that will totally outshine your drunken antics.

By the same respect, don’t beat yourself up for not going out.

Weeks are long and there’s nothing wrong with taking a Friday night off. Chances are, the frat party you’re missing will be just the same as the rest of them.

There is no hangover that brunch cannot fix.

A three-egg omelet with a side of buttermilk pancakes followed by a cold shower will have you back to yourself in no time.

Take pictures. Lots of them.

There will be days when you’re nostalgic for that weekend trip you took to Yosemite where you got poison ivy and your tent collapsed in the middle of night. Take pictures of everything.

Go to the movies alone.

You don’t have to stress over finding seats together, there is no one to distract you during the movie, and you don’t have to share that delicious buttery, salty movie theater popcorn.

Fall in love.

Yes, it’s so scary, but it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world. Your heart swells and your palms get sweaty and you can’t stop smiling because you found someone to fill a big void in your life that you didn't even know existed. Falling in love is the best.

Sing and dance.

If you hear a song that you love, don’t be afraid to get up and dance like a fool or sing along completely off-key. It’s cathartic.

Talk to everyone.

Strike up a conversation with the Target cashier as they bag the hundreds of dollars worth of things you don’t need. Everyone has a story.

Create.

Paint, sculpt, build—whatever it is, just create something with your hands. The reward is so fulfilling.

Don’t be afraid.

Yes, heights and spiders and other ghoulish nightmares are validly scary, but when it comes to falling in love or taking a test or every other stressful moment life throws at you, don’t be afraid. Trust that everything is going exactly as it should.

Tell people you love them.

Whether it’s your mom at the end of a phone call or that person you’ve been hopelessly in love with for years, tell those you love that you love them. You never know when someone might need to hear that.

Be kind.

Plato once said, “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighter a harder battle.” And it’s true. Be kind.