and i just thought you should know.

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Wow. Sooo much has changed since I last wrote. I guess I’ll number off everything that’s changed since last time before I go into what the point of this really is.

1.  Frank & Gale died. They were in a car accident with Matt Pav. I’m still in shock over it and it happened 4 months ago. I just still can’t believe it.
2.  I’m over him. Completely.
3.  I started dating someone else.
4.  Alli and I had a falling out.
5.  I turned 20.
6.  I got over new guy. That never would have worked anyway—8 years older than me, going through a divorce, with a 3-year old. Yeeeah.
7.  Lauren and I started talking again. Not a lot or anything. But we caught up.
8.  I met another guy who I can’t seem to get off my mind. Now that I’ve met him, I can’t understand why I ever felt that way about guy #1. I just feel like something is supposed to happen with us. And I felt it the first time I met him.
9.  Alli and I started talking again. I know it’ll never be the same, I won’t let it. I can’t let myself get too comfortable with her just to let her hurt me like that again.
10.  The Bird boys got in an accident. It’s really bad. They were on their way to work, Eric was driving and either was texting or fell asleep, he hasn’t been able to tell them yet. They both had to be airlifted. Steven has a broken back and he had to have pins put in it. Eric has a broken back, a broken pelvis, fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and he can’t move his leg. Steven’s stable; Eric’s slightly better than he was when it happened. I hope they both make it.

Okay, so the real point of this? Now that I’m 20, I realize that I’ve learned a lottt. So if you’ll forgive the cheesiness of the matter, I want to share with you some of the things I’ve learned so you don’t have to learn it the way I did: the hard way.

What you should know about high school:
-Drama is never worth it. Any of it.
-Go to homecoming and prom. Even if you don’t have the time of your life, you won’t regret it.
-Don’t depend on copying off of your “smart” friend, eventually she’ll get tired of it.
-Mr. Berg is super smart, even if his opinions don’t coincide with your own.
-It is possible to go through high school without ever serving a detention.
-It is also possible to not have to take a single final your senior year.
-Mr. Pakula will kick you out of his class for talking during movies.
-Get your senior pictures taken, buy a yearbook, and put pictures in the senior slideshow.
-Go to football games and basketball games, even if it’s just to socialize.
-Take PE & Study Hall with Coach Ramsey; if you’re his favorite, you’ll get away with anything.
-Sometimes, your least favorite teacher will become your favorite after you don’t have them anymore.
-Actually do your homework in Study Hall; you’ll appreciate not having to do any homework at home.
-Mrs. Gillett is the strictest teacher at Central A&M & Mrs. Lawton is probably the least strict.
-Don’t think Senor is crazy when he tells you that your best friends won’t be your best friends in 5 years; he’s completely right.
-Don’t stress over graduation; you won’t trip up the steps, you’re just going to be incredibly bored.
-Your grandparents tell you that high school is the ‘best years of your life’ because they’re some of the easiest years of your life, which is true. However, easiest doesn’t always mean best.

What you should know about friends:
-People change.
-Don’t maintain a friendship that is based on convenience.
-If a ‘friend’ continuously stabs you in the back, drop them.
-A true best friend will be there for you, no matter what.
-Never question why a friend cares about you; that’s what they’re supposed to do.
-Don’t put off talking to a friend about a problem for fear of hurting their feelings, no matter how sensitive they are; things will only be worse in the long run.
-Learn from your friend’s mistakes.
-Making new friends is fun.
-Don’t assume that just because one person hurt you that everyone else will.
-Take loads of pictures and remember every inside joke—they’ll always make you smile.
-If your friends warn you about someone, you don’t always have to listen, but heed their warning and respect their wishes regarding that person.
-Be loud, take late night Wal-Mart trips, and have sleepovers.

What you should know about relationships:
-Don’t try to change a person—if you don’t like who they already are, you’re wasting your time.
-Age is not a prerequisite for falling in love; maturity, on the other hand, is.
-You can’t have a one-sided relationship.
-You can’t help who you fall in love with, just don’t expect everyone to always support it.
-Don’t let someone control you.
-Don’t always take your ex back when they tell you they’ve changed; give them a time frame to prove it.
-Never say ‘I love you’ if you don’t mean it.
-Don’t stay with someone because you’re afraid of hurting them; again, things will only be worse in the long run.
-Don’t rush things. Take it slow.
-Remember: if they cheat with you, they’ll cheat on you.
-When they turn into a completely different person, it’s their loss.
-Establish boundaries.
-Be strong enough to leave—you’ll be okay.
-When you’re happy, don’t let anyone or anything take that away from you.
-It’s never too late to tell someone how you feel about them; there’s never a never until they’re gone.
-All love changes over time: some diminishes, but true love simply grows.

What you should know about life:
-Do stuff that isn’t illegal—you can have fun legally too.
-Don’t smoke; it’s gross.
-Don’t get addicted to caffeine; withdrawals are not fun.
-Don’t regret anything that once made you smile.
-Talk things out when you have a problem; you’ll feel better no matter how adamant you were about it to begin with.
-Don’t act like you have an IQ of less than 70; it’s not cute, it’s just obnoxious.
-Make every summer and weekend count—it’s worth more than you know.
-Go to concerts.
-Maintain a large vocabulary; even if people don’t always know what you’re talking about, you’ll always know what they’re saying.
-Don’t take anyone for granted—you never know when you might lose them.
-Don’t undermine someone’s trust.
-Be honest with everyone.
-Impulsivity can be an excellent thing.
-Always be grateful.
-Be super thankful when you walk away from a car accident.
-Pick your battles, but don’t let people walk all over you.
-Don’t underestimate anyone or set your expectations too high; if you have no expectations, you’ll never be disappointed, only surprised.
-Never be anything less than yourself.

I want to end this with 10 things I’ve learned about myself over the past few months.

1.  I secretly want to learn to cook.
2.  I’m ready to fall in love.
3.  I do too much and never feel appreciated.
4.  I’m extremely ready to move out.
5.  I can’t let myself get too comfortable with certain people, for my sake.
6.  I’ve gotten to the point where I really don’t care if people don’t like me. If you don’t like me, I’m going to be indifferent to you and your opinion.
7.  I’m really worried about not getting along with my roommates when I go to Millikin. I really hope I get super close to at least one of them.
8.  My friends are literally what keep me sane.
9.  I really want to meet a guy soon and fall in love with him.
10. I can’t wait to be a wife and a mother. I want to be married by the time I’m 23 and I want to have my first baby at 25.

Don’t live your life for anyone other than you :)