I'm pretty new to this whole adult thing, but these first eighteen years of my life have proven to be valuable and have given me several lessons to learn from. Here are a few things I've picked up along the way:

1. Growing up sucks. It’s typical for children and teenagers to dream of adulthood, but honestly, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. There are several pros, including both social and financial freedom, a sense of individuality, and the power to create and design a life of your own. These are the things that kids dream of. However, no one ever warns you about bills, rush hour, long days and nights at work, heartbreak, or the emotional responsibility of taking care of yourself.

2. Your family is weird. Like really weird. As you grow older, you become more aware of the way people act and speak. You begin to catch on to the quirkiness and the faults of your relatives, and you will soon begin to wonder if they’ve always been as crazy as they lead on.

3. You’re always going to be your own best friend. Loyalty and commitment are hard to come by nowadays. It’s easier to distance yourself from people rather than trusting them and letting them get to know you. At the end of the day, you must rely on yourself because not everyone you love promises to stick around.

4. Halloween isn’t onlya children’s holiday. “Halloweekend” brings a whole new meaning to the typical Halloween festivities I grew up participating in. It’s simply another opportunity for younger adults to divulge in liquid memory-loss and expose themselves in ways they never should.

5. Meat isn’t just meat. After watching the documentary Food, Inc. I was introduced to a whole new world of livestock that no longer exists on the farm. You can imagine the disgust and horror I felt when I learned of the ingredients used to make a hot dog.

6. The only monsters hiding in my room at night are the ones who haunt my head. As a child, I went to sleep with a light on every night out of fear that a monstrous creature may arise and drag me into the depths of my closet. Now, however, the only thing I hide from in the dark is my inner critic that threatens to control my thoughts.

7. Fish are friends, not food. SeaWorld is nothing like the happy, entertaining aquarium adventure that I remember visiting as a young child. I was devastated to learn of the confined environments and neglectful circumstances that the animals constantly endure. If you're unfamiliar with this topic, I highly recommend watching the documentary Blackfish.

8. Driving is all fun and games until you’re the only one with a car. At sixteen I was ecstatic to earn my license and begin driving. That was, of course, until some of my friends began to use me to their advantage.

9. Grocery shopping isn’t as fun when you’re the one who has to pay the bill. Is eating really essential to a long, healthy life? My bank account doesn’t think so.

10. Take advantage of the trusted adults in your life. These adults might not always be your parents, but regardless, it’s important to have experienced, supportive role models that will help guide you and teach you to form a life of your own. It's nice to have people you can trust that love you unconditionally - they won't always be around forever.

11. Kraft mac & cheese does not offer any nutritional value. Unfortunately.

12. The price of gasoline fluctuates as much as my love life. There are highs and lows, it changes day by day, and it stinks.

13. It’s important to watch what you eat. When you’re a kid, diet and exercise are unfamiliar concepts and typically are not a concern. Growing older has taught me that a person’s size and health can literally be the difference between life and death, or happiness and depression. Start moving!

14. You can be there for people as much as you want, but never anticipate someone to reciprocate the same effort you give them. This. This is something I have severely struggled with. I always give people more pieces of me than they deserve, and in turn it has often left me questioning my own actions and qualities. Be there for yourself. Love yourself. You’re all that you’ll ever have, so don’t let your happiness reside in something you may lose.

15. Cleaning becomes a lot more enjoyable as you age. Sure, it’s a chore. Sure, you might think I’m crazy. But really, you begin to understand why your parents always asked you to help around the house. Living in filth is nothing short of disgusting.

16. Learn to cook, and learn early. I’m eighteen years old and I can hardly boil water without something going wrong. Take advantage of mini lessons that your mom or dad pulls you aside for, it’ll totally pay off in the long run – especially if you need to feed a family someday.

17. Sleep is valuable. I used to absolutely hate taking naps – I thought they were unproductive and a waste of my day. Now, as a college freshman, naps have become my best friend. Sleep deprivation is no joke. Life’s easier when your eyes are shut, anyway.

18. It is actually possible to feel real, physical pain when your heart is broken. There will be several boys. Several friends. Several relationships. Some are bound to end, and others are bound to scar. A broken heart is no longer a chapter in a novel. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll let the right people break your heart and it then becomes easier to heal.