"Do you ever sleep?"

"You have to work again?!"

"I don't know how you do that, I could never."

These are only a handful of the musings I'm presented with on a daily basis. While perhaps they provide an accurate allusion to a slight case of workaholism, they remind me that my drive and ambition to be the best version of myself I can be oftentimes come with a hefty price tag.

To give a slight overview of what occupies my time, I will put it plainly: I work two jobs (seven days a week), am a part-time college student and proud dog mom, go to the gym at least 4 days a week, cook the majority of my meals, maintain a (slight) social life, and dabble in various writing outlets in an attempt to develop my skills. I'll go ahead and admit to what you're likely thinking: yes, I am very tired.

Being booked 24/7 is kind of like running a marathon that never really ends. You just run and run and run with a vague idea that there's a finish line, but at this point you're not particularly sure where it is. Some days I wake up after my exactly six hours of sleep wondering if it will really matter that much that if I just skip my cardio today or grab coffee for breakfast instead of making my usual ensemble of Greek yogurt, celery, hummus, and green tea. And admittedly, some days I do hit snooze and watch a few YouTube videos before I get up, which I immediately regret upon running 15 minutes behind.

In addition to the constant feeling of hectic routine, it can be difficult not to feel quite lonely at times being so focused on self-improvement and what will benefit me in the long run. There have been days where I get to work, many hours after waking up, and go to talk only to discover that my voice is hoarse because I haven't spoken yet that day amidst exercising, writing, or reading. I find myself texting my long-distance boyfriend and releasing all of my internal stress on his poor, sweet soul, because it's too long of a novel to say out loud and keep anyone's attention.

But despite the prices of my ambition, I am reminded daily why my exhaustion and soreness and stress are all but in vain. I look around me and see a culture of settling: one of low education, little motivation, excessive fast food consumption, drug and alcohol abuse, and a generally low quality of life. No amount of Netflix or sleeping in or McDonald's French fries is worth living in a constant state of mediocrity.

No matter the costs, I wish that I could impress upon every little girl and boy in this morose town that there is more to life than what meets the eye. You will be looked at as pretentious and a try-hard, but ambition is what drives the world around us and fulfills our hearts desire to lead a full life. As a wise animator once stressed, we must keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things.