I'm an idealist, and I have always been one.

From the moment I opened my eyes and saw the world before me, all new and sparkling like the bubbles from a clear glass of champagne, it has always been a wonder to me. My boundaries were far, and I could always stretch my arms out as my fingers reached for the impossible and hoped for the impossible.

Sometimes I would feel like my feet are planted on soft, fluffy clouds, and my head was up in the heavens. Perhaps I could even overcome the heat of the stars just to touch them and wonder about their existence when the night became dark enough for their brightness.

That was what dreams were like for me.

But, all the idealistic things I had swirling in my head weren't all going to come true like some fairy tale. Reality kept me on a tight leash, choking me as I clawed at it. I wanted to speak — I wanted to convey all the emotions I had bottled up inside me, but it didn't let me. It was almost as if I were on the brink of finally reaching what I wanted, but then I'd always come back to the start.

I realized that no matter how much you strived to reach something, it was sometimes impossible. That sometimes, you had to open your eyes, and let reality hit you. You needed something to anchor you down so that your fantasies wouldn't obscure everything else that may be more important.

The world isn't always sparkling in a kaleidoscope of colors bursting from behind your eyes. Life isn't something that's supposed to be simple where you barely have to lift a finger to work.

And maybe, I'm just a dreamer, and everything else is a dream, but some part of me — that idealistic part of me — still allows myself to dream once in a while even if I know for a fact that it won't come true.

I've learned not to hope toomuch. I've learned not to set expectations that are much too high. I've learned not to trust everyone until they give me a reason to. Maybe it's a little too cautious of me to do this, but it's honestly for the best.

It's OK to dream, but reeling in the part of me that stretches too far and lingers too long is the decision that I've come to.