When we’re children, all we want to do is grow up. Everybody wants to fast-forward through school, homework, and curfews in order to make it to jobs, cars, and homes. Children seem to have their futures all planned out for themselves, and they know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Of course, as we all know, growing up isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Life gets too real too fast. And when it does, all we want in the world is to turn back that clock.

When I was young, I thought I was going to the University of North Carolina to play Division I volleyball. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a Tar Heel. If you know me personally, you know that would be hysterical to watch because I am five feet tall and I don’t have any vertical whatsoever. I quickly realized in my sophomore year of high school that my dream would never be a reality. Heartbroken, I lowered my standards and decided to play Division III sports at a very small school in Maryland. I am incredibly happy there, but part of me always wishes I could fulfill my childhood dream and be a Tar Heel.

In the beginning of high school, I had a lot of friends. I had been friends with most of them since elementary school because I grew up in a really small town. It was amazing to grow up with them all, and I was convinced that we would all be friends forever. In my junior year, I dated a boy who controlled everything I did and never let me see any of those friends. That, of course, is a very different and difficult story to tell, so I won’t do so now. The bottom line is, I lost almost all of those friends. I only talk to three of them now.

The purpose of this article is not to make you sad, so I am sorry if I’ve done that. Trust me, it wasn’t my intention! The purpose is to make you realize that you will not stay young forever. I know that you know that to be true, but I swear, time goes by so incredibly fast. I would give anything to be back in high school now. I am now more than halfway finished with my undergraduate degree, and I’m already missing the time I’ve spent in school.

My message to you is: put off growing up for as long as you possibly can. Of course, I know that you can’t help it; you have to age. But you don’t necessarily have to grow up. Stay immature and young for as long as you can. I’m almost 21 years old, but that doesn’t stop me from acting like a child sometimes. I love cartoons and candy, and I’ll take a coloring book over a cubicle any day. Sure, I may have to enter the real world in another couple of years or so, but I will not let that make me hard. I’ve seen enough unhappy adults in my lifetime to know that I don’t want to become one. Try your hardest to do the same, and never ever grow up, because from what I’ve seen, it’s simply no fun at all.