As bad as this may make me seem, my birthday has always been one of my favorite days of the year. Who doesn’t love all the attention and gift receiving simply for being born? In the past, I feel as if every birthday brought some new excitement. Turning ten meant finally being in the double digits and turning 13 meant finally becoming a teenager. Then bigger birthdays with bigger implications came along, such as turning 16 and finally receiving your license. Turning 17 meant being able to LEGALLY watch R-rated movies and turning 18 finally meant not having to lie about checking the box if you are 18 or older. Each couple months leading up to my birthday brought anticipation and excitement for what is to come. That is until now—as I sit here anxious about having to leave my teenage years behind by turning 20 in one month. While I know that they are called your “roaring twenties” for a reason, I cannot help but be wary of what is to come as I approach my last month of being a teenager.
1. I can no longer blame my naïve ways on simply “being a teenager” and not knowing any better.
Let’s be honest, even though I was officially an adult when I turned 18, I was nowhere more responsible than when I was 16.
2. I can no longer blame my mood swings on being a teenager.
There is a stigma that teenagers are naturally moody and that they are just going through a phase. Well, I guess my phase is over and I better have a legitimate excuse if I’m “not in the mood."
3. The only big birthday I have left to look forward to is turning 21.
I am legal to do just about everything except drink. Once that birthday passes, I have no more birthday milestones to look forward until the big 4-0—and even then there isn’t anything new that I can do!
4. I might stop looking forward to my birthday.
I am the baby of my family and I am the only person who still makes a big deal about birthdays. Does turning 20 mean that I will stop making a big deal of my birthday? Will I turn into someone who goes into work and hopes nobody remembers what day it is?
5. Most people graduate college when they are 22.
That means that in two years I will have a bachelor’s degree and have to either apply to graduate school or start working. Two years people. Two years ago my mom was still doing my laundry. Let that sink in.
6. Many people get married in their 20s.
My sister got married when she was 24. Granted, she married her high school sweet heart, but nevertheless, things are not looking so hot for me in that department.
7. Many people have children in their 20s.
Obviously this isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but I am entering the decade in which I very well could have children. On the other hand, with turning 20 in a month, I can officially say that I beat teen pregnancy!
8. I still do not know how to pay any bills.
Don’t worry, I know how to find the oxidation numbers of a chemical formula, though!
9. It may not be socially acceptable to binge watch Netflix for an entire day anymore.
Now that I am not going to be a teenager anymore, I feel as if I should start doing something more productive with my life—like writing a novel…or at least cooking a meal.
10. Friends start to drift apart and lose touch as they grow older.
I am nervous that some of my friends from high school and I will begin to drift apart as out lives get busier with new responsibilities that I do not know how to handle.
11. I might start getting sick of going out and become a homebody.
Who am I kidding, this is probably never going to happen.
12. I might not be my parents’ little girl anymore.
I know that I am a baby stuck in an adult’s body, but do they know that? It is not that I want them to treat me like a little kid but I still want to be their little girl who does need their help and advice.
13. I have no idea how to do taxes or how I am going to learn how to do them.
I do have two accountants in the family so I should probably start talking to them!
14. Pretty soon I could be the proud owner of my own house.
…But what is a mortgage? How do you even landscape?
15. It may not be acceptable to walk around in leggings and an over-sized sweatshirt everyday anymore.
I need to start memorizing the definition of business casual. It may be time to trade in my leggings for some slacks and my converse for some heels.
16. I have to start eating really healthy and working out.
It’s time to say goodbye to my teenage metabolism where I could eat anything that I wanted and never have to worry about gaining a pound. I have to start saying so-long to bread and butter and hello to treadmills and ellipticals.
17. I may start losing interest in social media in a few years.
Am I still going to be documenting every vacation with #selfies on my Snapchat stories and Instagramming the #cutest pics with my friends? Will I stay up to date with the best filters? I sure hope so.
18. I might have to stop napping.
I do not know any adult that has time to nap. I really need to enjoy these last few years of college because, after that, I do not know if I will be able to have the ultimate privilege of napping.
19. I still do not know how to change a tire…
It actually really does concern me that I am turning 20 and still cannot change a tire. I guess my dad has to teach me something before I go back to school in 12 days!
20. Life is moving by a lot faster than I expected.
I feel as if it was just yesterday that I graduated from high school and now I am entering into my second year of college. Two more years and I will be graduating from college. Can someone put a pause button on life, please?
To sum up my feelings about turning 20 in a month, in the words of Nathan Scott himself, “It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re seventeen and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And that someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”
