Well, I wouldn't go with the drinking and smoking, they don't work. What's that saying, "To find true love and the Prince you first have to kiss a lot of toads"? Finding true love takes a lot of practice and learning from a lot of others, it's not something that is effortless, anymore than finding the right career for you or right house, etc. will be.

All the time we're learning and it's hard to say what we'll need when we meet that "true" love. I didn't get married until I was 39 and it is my "soul mate" but when I look at all that came before that I needed to get to where I met this man, it boggles my mine. Imagine who you will be, what you will be like at 45. Write down what your life will be like and put it away somewhere and take it out when you're 45. You'll both laugh and cry, I guarantee it.

Become who you want to be. Don't worry too hard about the others around you other than learning to get along with them and make friends and how to be polite and friendly and "engaged" with them. If I hadn't been so anxious/afraid of other people and had gotten to where I am, sooner, I would have been different. But I didn't and there's no way I could have, I wouldn't be me if I were different :-)

If I could get one message to my 18 year old self it would be, "It will be okay!" I use that as a mantra today even but today I "know" it. It would have been nice to have had a friendly voice back then though but no computers/electronics yet back then

You'll feel better!