When we were children, the world let us believe in the impossible. It was acceptable to believe that we could be princesses, astronauts, or movie stars. It was acceptable to believe that we could accomplish anything we set our minds to. It was acceptable to believe that we could truly live our lives to the fullest.

When we grew up, we realized that the world isn’t so kind. Most of us grew out of that carefree mindset because society told us that those childish dreams were silly, and that we should aspire to go to college and become a doctor or lawyer, and then buy a house soon after and start a family. To society, having a college degree, financial stability, a house, and a family was normal. To society, aspiring to have anything else would be preposterous, foolish, and out-of-the-ordinary.

While a majority of us no longer believe in the impossible, there is still a small group of us who do. While a majority of us are conventional and live up to societal expectations, there is a small group of us who prefer to live life on our own terms. If you’re bold enough, you might even be a free spirit. Here are 9 signs that you are a free spirit:

1. You're unconventional.

Being a free spirit means that you're unconventional. You hate conforming to societal expectations and you rarely follow the crowd; you prefer to do your own thing, your own way. Some of your decisions may be unusual and people might question you about them, but you don't care about what other people think because you believe in living life on your own terms.

2. You're fiercely independent.

Being alone doesn't bother you, but having someone else make your decisions does. You rarely seek opinions from other people regarding big life decisions because at the end of the day, you know you're going to do whatever your heart desires, even if your family and friends don't agree.

3. Freedom is your biggest priority.

Freedom is everything to a free spirit. Having the freedom to make your own decisions and live the life you want are qualities that drive your passion and zest for life. You can't stand the thought of someone clipping your wings, negating your ability to fly.

4. You have a zest for life and want to try everything.

You have a zest for life like none other, but this characteristic might make you come across as indecisive because you want to try everything that inspires you or interests you. While most of your peers have their lives figured out (what to study, what job they want to have, etc.), you find yourself bouncing back and forth between majors and goals because you haven't tried everything yet and you want to make sure you do before you make some big life decision and miss out on what could have been.

5. No one understands you.

No one understands why you can't just pick a major and stick with it. No one understands why you change your mind every minute and no one can keep up with you when you do. No one understands why you can't just be realistic and aspire to live a normal life like most people. No one understands why you'd rather travel the world and live out of a suitcase rather than settling down and buying a house. No one understands why you don't get too attached to anyone. No one understands why you're so 'spur of the moment' and make big decisions without thinking them through. No one understands you.

6. You have a lust for adventure.

While you like sitting at home on a Friday nigh with Netflix and a pizza to yourself, you have a lust for adventure and step out of your comfort zone whenever you can. Normal is boring to you and you prefer living a life that is anything but normal.

7. You can't function when you feel restricted.

You hate routines and can't stand the thought of working a normal 9-5 job; you prefer waking up every morning not knowing what to expect. You function best when you are free to make your own decisions and live by your own rules.

8. You're not a hippie and you're not a flower child.

When you think of the word "free spirit," words like "hippie" and "flower child" are often associated with it. While this may have been the case decades ago, 21st century free spirits are anything but hippies and flower children. Free spirits are just like everyone else; they pay their bills, most of them go to college, they go to parties, etc. However, free spirits are different from most people because they think differently and they view life differently. Rather than desire the normal things in life like a nice house, a fancy car, a financially stable job, etc., free spirits would rather travel the world and live out of a suitcase for a few years. Free spirits don't have the desire to settle down because they want to try everything. Free spirits live unconventionally; sometimes they make reckless decisions and do unusual things because that's the way their brain is wired. Free spirits believe in living life to the fullest and experiencing as much of it as they can.

9. The world isn't always kind to you.

For a free spirit, the world can be a lonely, hard place to live in sometimes. We're constantly surrounded by conventional mindsets and we're constantly misunderstood. For free spirits, it can feel as if no one understands us, and it can feel as if there is no one there for us. But fret not, for there is a small group of people who know exactly how you feel; you just have to find them.

To anyone who isn't a free spirit, please don't be offended by my words. If anything, count yourself as lucky for having a conventional mindset and desiring the normal things in life. Being a free spirit is difficult to say the least; we're constantly misunderstood and we're constantly seeking a purpose. Being a free spirit can make for a lonely world when we're very rarely surrounded by people who think the way we do.

To anyone who is a free spirit, please don't be offended by my words. Being a free spirit is difficult and lonely and confusing, but count yourself as lucky for having an unconventional mindset; count yourself as lucky for viewing the world and viewing your life through a different lens. Without free spirits, the world would be a boring place.