20.

Ever since my birthday I've been thinking about how different my life is now compared to my teenage years. And how much I've learned. Here's a list.

1. DO keep a diary of some sort- It's a good way to put together your thoughts and also a nice way to moniter how much you've grown from year to year.

2. DON'T dye your hair every five minutes- Ugh. As fun as it is to look like a different person every other week, it takes FOREVER to get back to your natural color, and you have to use a bunch of product to make it feel healthy again.

3.DO read books- It makes me CRAZY when I tell someone to read a book I think they'd like, and they respond with, "I don't really read, I don't like it". WELL, how do you know you don't like it if you never do it? I love reading. I probably read a book a week, at least.

4. DON'T ever say you hate your parents- It's mean. And you really don't hate them. Parents are so much more fun when you grow out of the being-embarrassed-by-them stage. Now that I'm older, my mom and I have this really awesome bond, and it means so much to me.

5. DO listen to the advice you get from old people- For the most part, they're pretty wise and know what they're talking about.

6. DON'T EVER compromise your beliefs for a boy- ever.

7. DO find time to spend by yourself- It's nice to be alone sometimes. It's necessary. My mom calls it "me time". If my mom and I go a few days without our "me time", we start to get really, really grouchy.

8. DON'T assume that guys know why you're mad- If a boy asks you what's wrong, and you say, "Ugh. Nothing. SIIIIGGHHH", it makes the situation way harder than it could have been, had you just said, "I'm annoyed because you did this".

9.DO start conversations with strangers at Starbucks- Because you might as well talk to someone while you're drinking coffee, and it's really fun to hear what random people have to say.

10. DON'T judge people before you even know them- Or at least try your best not to. I think everyone judges people, without even meaning to. But to make an opinion about a person, you have to have an actual conversation with them first.

11. DO hang out with your grandparents- Luckily all of my grandparents are still alive. I always feel really bad when peoples' grandparents die. But seriously, grandparents are so helpful and fun. I love learning about what they were like when they were my age.

12. DON'T eat half of an eighteen inch pizza- Especially if you're lactose intolerant. Ohhh gosh gross memories. This leads me to...

13. DO maintain a healthy diet- The better you eat, the better you feel. Definitely true. Last year I did this total makeover of my life, and part of it was to change my eating habits. Not only did I lose the pizza-beer-french fries gut I was carrying around, but I'm actually HAPPIER when I eat healthy food.

14. DON'T throw away coupons- They are so extremely useful and really add up. I love free/discounted things.

15. DO tell your friends the truth, not just what they want to hear- This gets particularly uncomfortable sometimes. But if someone asks me if they look stupid in an outfit, and they do, I'll tell them the truth. I want my friends to be honest with me, and vice versa, because I love them.

16. DON'T shoot down other people's values- Whether it's political preference, religious beliefs, whatever, you never have the right to tell someone that what they believe in is stupid. Having a different view is one thing, but telling someone they're wrong about anything like that is just...dumb. Yeah. Really dumb.

17. DO admit when you're wrong- Even though it's a drag. Most of my family and friends, as well as myself, are very strong-willed people. Arguing with any of them is such a pain because neither one of us will want to admit that the other is right. But if you're wrong, and you realize it, just take accountability and move on.

18. DON'T leave your check card in the ATM.

19. DO accept help when you need it- As much as I like to act like I don't need anyone and I can take care of myself, sometimes I need help. And a lot of people in the past have offered to help me out, and I didn't accept it, and now I wish I had. You can't do everything alone.

20. DON'T give up on everything and lose hope, no matter how awful the situation is. It could ALWAYS be worse, and it will ALWAYS get better. Still working on this one.

Well this has taken me about an hour and a half. Even though no one ever reads this, I think I did a pretty ok job.