Six months before my nineteenth birthday, I came across an article titled "Nineteen Things To Know On Your Nineteenth Birthday," at first I wanted to read the article right away, but instead I saved it to read on my nineteenth birthday. On my birthday, I was sitting in the train and I began reading the article realizing that I somewhat already knew the nineteen things listed in the article. But this article inspired me to reflect on what I learned in my twenty years of being on this earth and the irony is I have only been twenty for six months. So it is quiet possible I have another twenty things to learn within this half year!

1. It is okay to not know what you will be doing with your life in five years. A five year plan is great to have, but this is life-- nothing is set in stone.
2. Your mom is your best friend with your best interest in mind. Her advice might not always sound appealing, but she does know what she is talking about.
3. You need to spend time with your grandparents getting to know their past experiences. This one is simple-- absorb as much information as humanly possible about them.
4. Religion starts to play a role the older you get. It plays a role in the type of partner you look for, questions about how you want to raise your future children, and a way to help guide you.
5. Enjoy your homework and schoolwork. Soon enough you will be out in the real world, and Quizlet will not be able to save your life.
6. Enjoy being able to dress up in sweats to your seven AM class. Soon enough you will have to look presentable for your seven AM presentation.
7. Be in aware of your credits and what classes you need to take in order to graduate on time. Be in charge of your future outcome.
8. Take care of your mental health. It is so easy to lose yourself in your work, remember to always find some "you time" to unplug.
9. Find a hobby that will help you unplug. Hobbies can range from jogging to kicking back and reading your favorite book.
10. Do not hold everything bottled up. If something is bothering you-- use your words.
11. Even if you try to be a good person someone will knock you down and screw you over. Just remember to keep your head up high and move on.
12. Keeping grudges does not get you a long way. Accept the situation, learn your lesson, and move on.
13. Do not treat people like shit even if someone in your past screwed you over. Each new person you meet is different so do not let the anger of the past get in your way.
14. In actuality, you have no friends. You are alone in this big scary world and you have your best friend right next to you to accompany you on this journey we call life (that is you).
15. Always write everything down and keep a firm schedule. Organization is key to a successful school life and work life.
16. Do not depend on others to help you. If you need an internship or a job referral make sure you are the best possible candidate there is.
17. Love yourself. It is so important to learn to love your flaws because it will be a huge confidence booster for yourself.
18. If you live at home, save up your money. You will thank yourself later when with the money saved you score yourself your dream apartment.
19. Remember to always play with your pets. They will not be around forever and you are their greatest source of happiness.
20. Do not be scared to admit you are wrong. Admitting you are wrong does not make you a weak person.

All in all, life is full of surprises and lessons. Each year you experience something life changing, each year you experience something heartbreaking, but most importantly each year you experience living and that is something you need to be thankful for. The surprises and lessons you learn each year with life will help shape you and one day you will be passing on these valuable lessons to your children.