I'm only three months into it, but 2011 has been a year for personal growth, a year for self-improvement and self-actualization...and  a year where I realized I'm officially too old to ride a party bus, drink cheap keg beer or be enticed by $1 shots.

I know-- really deep stuff.

There are many stages of my youth I hope to never outgrow: hot pink nail polish, dresses that are more like shirts and my unabiding love for Britney Spears. But there are other things that aren't as charming once you're no longer a teenager: things that I have learned slowly but surely over the past few years.

So, here it is: the single girl's guide to growing up (Volume 1).

At 21
You are too old to care about what happened to you in high school. No girl stole your boyfriend like a thief in the night: he just wanted to see what it was like to date someone who was a different brand of crazy. Get over it and write her an apology note on Facebook for TP'ing her house sophomore year.

You are not old enough to have a mid-life crisis. Nobody knows what they want to be when they grow up, and you are not the first person to freak out about dipping your toe into the frigid waters of the real world.

You are too old to think smoking will make a boy like you. Trust me, he won't.

At 22
You are not old enough to live with your boyfriend. No, it is not the same as sleeping over there every night. In order to grow into the woman you want to be (*roll eyes*), you're going to need to learn to live an independent life. Yes, that means your rent will go up. Coincidentally, so will your self esteem.

At 23
You are too old to ask your parents for money to pay your taxes. Okay fine: just this once, but only because you didn't pay attention when you filled out your first real tax form.

At 24
You are too old to have passive-aggressive fights with your roommates and cry about it in your room.

You are not too old to make out with a stranger after 14 hours on a Greyhound bus after he essentially saves your life. That's practically the third date. Enjoy it: this will be the last year that behavior is considered anywhere close to normal.

At 25
You're too old to be scamming off the family cell phone plan. Pay up, sister.

At 26
You're too old to think that men without jobs are boyfriend material. Sadly, this will not deter you.

You are too old to still think smoking is cool. Again, this will not deter you.

At 27
You're too old to stay out past midnight on a weeknight. Sorry, but your internal clock has been set back to childhood and the days when you needed at least 8 solid hours of sleep.

At 28
You're too old to eat McDonald's more than once a month. Your metabolism will not forgive you for that cheeseburger.

Which life lessons have you learned so far?