17 Things I Learned During my 17th Year

1. Five cups of coffee in one day is a bad idea.
2. The dog on the side of the road is not more important than the traffic in front of you.
3. Real friends always find their way back to one another.
4. Cousins are your best friends.
5. Be excited over the little things; these make life worth living.
6. Parents only want you to be happy.
7. Moms understand, and they want to help.
8. There is no such thing as “too many books.”
9. Teachers are the people that can change lives.
10. Staying in touch with people from pre-school with can be one of the best decisions ever made.
11. There is a great big world out there that no one has seen yet; explore it.
12. Love doesn’t care about feelings; it will crush you. Repeatedly.
13. Time doesn’t care if you’re ready; it’s going to keep marching on.
14. If you find something you love to do, hold onto it and keep doing it.
15. Sometimes life gets to the point where getting in your car, driving, and letting out a blood curling scream is the only way to keep from going crazy.
16. High school isn’t an enemy.
17. The future is horrifying; embrace the terror you feel.