Hey there.

So you're 18 now. It's the age all kids ultimately dream of--and who wouldn't? You are your own independent person now; one who has his or her own driver's license, can go "out on the town" (if you're into that kind of thing), and even move out into your own home if you really wanted to. The possibilities are practically endless!

And, if you're headed off to college in the fall, it's the year of new beginnings--and endings. High school graduation is just around the corner, and college decisions need to be made.

It certainly is an exciting time, yes, but definitely nerve-racking as well.

I personally turned 18 three days ago today. My family and I have never been big on birthdays; we'd celebrate with cake and lots of food, and a present if I really wanted one. But yeah--it was like any other year, and I guess the immense weight of this new stage in my life hadn't really sunk in yet...because it sure did yesterday. I had to make the decision to attend either a small liberal arts college near my home (which I had received a full-ride to) or a university a state away that was one of the top twenty schools in the nation!

The choice had probably been the toughest I've ever had to make in my entire life; did I really want to give up the safety and security of my hometown, family, and friends in exchange for a bold new reality brimming with possibility and what ifs? Was I ready, physically and mentally, to do so? But an aspiring journalist and professional writer like myself must take risks in life to get ahead; I chose the latter option, and haven't looked back since.

This is the age of new beginnings. Tough beginnings.

We aren't kids anymore; we're no longer protected by the safety nets of our parents.

Taxes need to be paid, insurance needs to be purchased, student loans need to be taken out. (At least, for some.) Everybody says it isn't easy, but nobody tells you these things. Even for those eighteen-year-olds who aren't headed off to university in the fall, life as they knew it will have completely changed. Their friends will have come and gone, jobs appear and then disappear, and life moves on. It's hard to swallow for some, but it's true. For some of us, it's too hard to take. But the rest of us manage to keep our heads held high with the following realizations.

We must live each day to fullest. It is true that yes, soon we will be headed in a thousand different directions, places, locations, homes, and educations, but for now, we are here. We are living in the moment before the actor goes on stage, the moment where we are pacing behind-the-scenes, eager for what's to come. So revel in that feeling!

The best has yet to come, but we can make the best of what's currently here, and make what we will with it. Let the adult you've become now hold the hand of the kid you are at heart, and walk into the sunset of possibility, of promise. Believe me, you won't ever regret it, or forget it.

Take care of yourself.

I don't know when I'll see you next, but I'll see you soon.

Your friend,

Lydia