Is it really my 21st birthday? LIKE I CAN'T EVEN.

This is my first year away from home on my birthday and I definitely miss my friends and family. But, I am happy to enjoying my time living in Italy. 

I am definitely having an unconventional birthday as far as this birthday goes.

It's insane how much can change within a year or even months. 

This birthday really shows me how much my life has really changed from last year. 

To commemorate my 21st birthday, here are 21 realizations from this crazy and totally awesome past year that I've learned :)

1. Accepting new challenges will test you but in the end will make you stronger
2. Don't let anyone tell you or convince you that your dreams are too big or far-fetched
3. Understand that some people in your life are meant to teach you a lesson, temporary, and will not stay forever 
4. Solidifying what you believe will make you a much stronger person and leave you less dependent on what other people think or believe
5. Accept the fact that you will make mistakes, that you are not a perfect person, and you will continue to make mistakes
6. Take tons of risks in your life : in love or even career choices
7. Conquer your fears -- like traveling on planes
8. Friends who are meant to stay will and they will show you their value in your life
9. Write down your goals because it's the only way to assure they will happen
10. Being alone is awesome -- you have to know and love yourself before someone else will
11. Don't ever regret a mistake -- it taught you something in the end even if you don't realize it
12. Don't let money or any other circumstance dictate what you can or can't do -- you can always make things possible
13. Be open to new opportunities -- even ones that scare you or challenge you
14. Design your life in pencil and give God the pen
15. Appreciate your family and parents -- they are meant to guide you and love you 
16. Do not heed on the advice of others, especially if they are not even in said situation -- make your own decisions
17. Make smart money decisions and don't regret making mistakes -- this is the time to start thinking about the future and avoiding those mistakes in the future
18. Absorb and learn as much as you can -- like learning Italian!
19. Never say never because you will
20. If people call you crazy for thinking big, then you are doing something right
21. Learn to look at the positives of every situation no matter how horrible it may be or feel