Ever since the summer before my first year of undergrad, this is the question that never seems to get left out of any conversation I have with others around me. It is also a single question that causes so much anxiety and stress for young adults.
At the age of 19, I feel as though I am expected to understand what the rest of the course of my life is intended to look like, and frankly, I do not always know what the next 24 hours look like. I appreciate the fact that people ask to show that they care, but this question also poses such an immense pressure on the idea that in order to be successful, we sure as hell better understand the blueprint of our life.
The reality is, many of us at this age are still figuring ourselves out. We are busy recognizing what our true values are, realizing what types of people we want to surround ourselves with, and what our passions are. Not only is this coming of age difficult to navigate on its own, it's even harder when you have a society that pressures you into creating your dream life at the age of 19.
For me, I spend my time enjoying the days of my youth. I don't take for granted the moments where I don't have to plan each sector of my life, but I also recognize that these are days that I will never get back. I intend to spend these moments doing things that make me happy, while also keeping regard for the future.
We are constantly evolving, changing our thought processes, our surroundings, our mindsets, and so much more. That alone makes it hard to select a major or two when I have passions that span a variety of subjects. Additionally, I can tell you that it is incredibly difficult to decide what you want to do for the next 30+ years of your life, especially when many of us do not have actual experience in the fields we are pursuing.
It is completely understandable to be curious about what people's dreams and plans for the future are, but please keep in mind that there is no problem if their response is "I don't know" or "I'm still figuring it out." It is normal. I am sure your image of your life at age 19 is far different from how your life actually turned out. So please, please give us room to grow, explore, and create the life that aligns with our goals and our visions that we are creating for our future. These ideas are changing, and so are we.
And to answer your question, I have no idea what I am doing with the rest of my life, and that is totally okay. Looks like we will find out together!
