I turned 19 on the 21st of this month, making me a legal adult in the state of Nebraska. I felt that upon my achievement of adulthood, I should reflect on some of the things I've learned in these 19 years of life.

1. Don't let fear rule your life.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am a very fearful person. My biggest fears include clowns, heights, bugs of any kind, wild birds among a countless list of other things. I started to let all of my supposed fears rule my life and I know I missed out on some amazing opportunities. I took a big leap at the beginning of the school year and joined color guard instead of marching band and I made some of my closest friends because of it!

2. Don't stay at a job you don't like just because of the money.

I never had a "real job" for very long. I always babysat because it is what I loved to do. I got a real job for a few months at a local superstore and I absolutely hated it. I ended up quitting a few months before summer break because I just couldn't take it anymore, and it was the best decision I ever made! Yes, I was tight on money for a while but, I eventually got a regular babysitting job that summer and was making less money, but I was much happier. I can't tell you how nice it is to want to go to work everyday!

3. Give it your all.

This one took me the longest to learn so far. I am the kind of person who isn't persistent and if I can't do it the first few times, I quit. I slowly and painfully learned that this will get me nowhere in life. You have to give everything you do your all. My high school marching band director would always tell us before every competition to leave it all on the field. He would tell us to make this next performance the best one we have ever done and to leave everything we have on the field. It took me a few years to fully grasp this piece of advice and apply it to my life but it is one of the best things that I took away from high school. It is not an easy mantra to live by, but it is completely rewarding in the end.

4. Make new friends, all of the time.

I wish I could say that I have a ton of friends that I hung out with all of the time - throughout high school, I had like four. Four very close friends and a bunch of friends that were no longer friends with me once the final school bell rang. Making friends can be very difficult, nerve racking, and uncomfortable, but if you put yourself out there and force yourself to talk to people, you can make life long friendships that last a lifetime.

5. Try something new, every chance you get.

Whether this is food, a new type of clothing, hairstyle or even a different way to work, just try something new! This past year, I have tried a bunch of different kinds of sushi (hated them all), crab cakes, oysters, lamb, duck and that is just the new food I've tried. You will have the best experiences trying new things and who knows, you may just find something you love!