As I get older, I'm finding that I'm starting to close chapters in my life a lot faster than I did as a kid. Maybe because being a kid didn't come with a lot of responsibilities, or maybe because I hadn't seen a lot of the world yet. But whatever the reason, being an adult has taught me that life stops for no one.

I graduate in a few weeks and now that it's finally here, I wish that I hadn't spent the last 5 years wishing for college to be over. While I did take everyone's advice and stayed in school for as long as I possibly could, closing this chapter is incredibly bittersweet.

But what in life isn't?

The one thing we're guaranteed in this life is mortality; it's the one sure thing everyone shares. All chapters must close. That doesn't make closing them any easier, but there's a sort of comfort in knowing that someone else in the world is feeling what I'm feeling. It's nice to know I'm not the only one that feels the fear of moving into the real world and being completely alone for the first time. That feeling though, is where the beauty in life lies.

As kids, we were taught to enjoy the small things. Like finding a firefly on a hot summer night or pelting your siblings in the face with giant snowballs during a snow day. But somewhere in this journey through adolescence we lost that feeling. Being a teenager is tough and trying to navigate relationships and changing bodies really does feel like the end of the world in that moment. And we forget to value the small things and then you blink and you're weeks away from graduating college and you don't know how you got here.

And even worse than that is change. Finding happiness in life is hard, so when you do find it, you want to stay forever. Unfortunately, time doesn't work like that. This is the universe's world, we're just living in it.

The good news though? There is so much life to be lived in the coming chapters of your life. I'm terrified of ending this chapter because I'm comfortable and happy here, but I'm also eager to see where the wind takes me next.

I'm excited to move out and learn to stand on my own two feet. I'm excited to get my heart broken because a broken heart means a life well lived. I'm excited to see what the world has to offer me and where I can go from here. Most importantly, I'm excited to set my life on fire and enjoy every second of it.

The best part about books - and life - is that they can be reread. And our lives are just one big story that can be read and reread until the spine is soft and falling apart. Even though we can't stay in the same chapter forever, we can go back to those memories and feelings anytime we want. Don't be fearful of closing the chapter or leaving this part of your story, life is happening all around us and it's crazy beautiful even in its bittersweetness.

So here's to always moving forward and always being thankful for the little things.

And for spending 5 years in college avoiding adulthood like the mature young lady I am; onward and upward my friends!