With my 19th birthday only two weeks away, I can't help but reflect on the past year...and what an amazing year it's been.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been trying to grow up too fast. Being the youngest one out of my group of friends only made my desire to be older that much more intense. As a pre-teen I was addicted to glossy lips, ridiculous amounts of neon eye shadow, and shorts so short you could nearly see my tonsils.
A few years later when I started high school, I was eager to get my license so I wouldn’t have to rely on my parents or friends to drive me around. Shortly after, when I started college as a 17-year-old, I couldn’t wait to turn 18 so I could get into bars and be recognized as a legal adult. Now that I’ve finally reached adulthood, I’m more focused on slowing time down than speeding it up.
When I came to college only a year ago, I never thought my life would be anything like it is now. Leaving home to be on my own seemed terrifying, and not knowing many people at Miami frightened me even more. Though it may sound like an overstatement, 17-year-old me felt shy and intimidated. I was nervous to be myself for fear that people wouldn’t like who I am.
My 18th birthday was a couple weeks after move-in day, and I instantly felt like a whole new person. Knowing that I had the freedom to go get a tattoo, or go to a bar, or even vote in an election made me feel like I had the world at my fingertips. This sudden boost of confidence gave me the power to feel comfortable being my own person and not being afraid of what others might think of me. With these thoughts in my head, it was impossible to have a bad year.
Turning 18 made everything feel brand new, which is a feeling that I will surely miss as I reach my 19th birthday. At 18 I had my first “serious” boyfriend, I met the first girls who genuinely became my sisters, I joined my first (and only, of course) sorority, I went to my first fraternity party, I went to my first bar, I lived on my own for the first time, and so on.
All of the firsts that have occurred in the past year have played major roles in my life, and some of those experiences are moments I never could have had before. I have spent nearly 2 decades wishing I were older, but as I grow up, I yearn to stop time in its tracks. 18 has without a doubt been the best year of my life. I could never forget the memories I’ve made or the people I’ve met. As I enter my last year of being a teenager, I can only hope that my twenties will be just as unforgettable.
