This isn’t a post about what 2017 taught me. This is about what being 21 for 6 months has taught me. I turned 21 in the middle of June. I drank far too many tequila sunrises and margaritas in Bar Harbor and in a local bar whose bathrooms were disgusting and knew they had history in them. I learned a lot in just three months of that summer.

I learned don’t let a boy make you cry on your birthday. I learned that you’ll go through a summer fling once in your life, and mine involved laughter, horrible Olaf vodka, and a guy using me for my queen size bed and sex. He was an arrogant rich boy, but the southern accent and curly hair pulled me in for a month and a half.

I learned don’t sleep around when you know you’re not a fan of one night stands. I’m a girl who loves too hard, and too fast. I’m a girl who would rather have a boy call me baby every day, know my coffee order, and make sure the car seat is heated when I slide into the seat. I deserve a boy like that. I was getting over my first love and learned I still loved him.

I did everything that summer to not hurt anymore.

I drank too much tequila, I slept with boys who didn’t care about me and didn’t see a future with me. I met a great guy named Trevor who showed me awesome music, took me on a date to multiple coffee shops in one day, and his family welcomed me with open arms (slowly) and now even though we broke up, they’re like a home away from home. I know if I need somewhere to crash in their town, they would open their door to me.

The major thing I learned was, I was madly in love with my first ever boyfriend. I couldn’t get his blues eyes out of my head, and every song reminded me of him. I learned that rushing into something in the end of 2016 was the worst thing I could have done for us. We were just starting to get to know each other, and it was all too much. The two-hour distance was too much.

Yet, ending 2017, I’m so in love with this boy, and we’re back together.

I learned sometimes months apart you need. I grew as a person, I learned hard lessons and found parts of me I didn’t know I had in me, or that were waiting for me to find. I learned to take your time and really getting to know someone makes everything worthwhile. The wait is worth it. Sure, we’re still getting to know each other but it feels better than the first time.

Ending 2017 and being 21 for six months, I’ve learned these important things. Tequila feels good in the evening over your broken heart, but it won’t feel good in the morning.

Don’t block your feelings with sex, the aftermath will only hurt worse. And lastly, don’t rush things. The ride is worth it, and the little things will mean everything to you with the right person.