22.
How did this happen? Am I already 22, with none of my aspirations I wanted as a child completed? Nothing I wrote or told my friends as a child I accomplished. Here at 22, am I who I wanted to be? As a child I dreamed of being a teacher, I thrived on wanting to teach children and make them the best humans possible. Little did I know or even understand, I wanted to teach myself how to be the best. How did I become so old?
Now, 22 is not old! Do I feel old saying I'm no longer 22, but on the way to 23? As a 22-year-old college student, day to day operations can be quite difficult. You often find yourself surrounded by young individuals who know nothing about themselves. You find yourself reminiscing on everything you thought you missed out on. While I will always blast Taylor Swift's pop song, it also gives me great strength knowing that people go through the same emotions. Some at different ages than others, but understanding that being confused and not knowing your direction is okay. You could be 30-years-old and not know the direction you want to take, and you can be a 20-year-old that knows exactly the direction you want to take. What makes 22 so special is that you are in this box, each side with a door and each with a new journey to take. As you enter each door, experience the new and learn. You always have the option to turn back and try another door.
The age 22 did not start off great for me; I was confused and thought I was in love with multiple aspects of my life. I wanted to be skinny and not eat, and my birthday ended up with a girl who lost her way. I realized that love is not what I was feeling -- there were parts of myself I desired by which I sought out through unhealthy relationships. There were areas in my life where I set myself up for failure, knowing it was the wrong door. The age 22 started off as a failure for me, and it made me grow to understand what kind of person I needed to be. Through the different doors I have entered, I always managed to fail, pick myself back up to the doors and try another one.
While the age 22 is full of failure, it is also full of life. Life of travel, growth, and understatement. There is the growth of meeting new people and experiences that make you feel like a 15-year-old again. The age 22 will lead you to adulthood, and it will help transform a formerly shy individual into a confident explorer of the world's opportunities. It is up to you to lead your life, make your life a good one. It doesn't matter if you're 22, 15 or 60-years-old. In the end, we all have milestones that create and link us to something bigger. If you haven't had that milestone, buckle up and get ready for the time of your life!
