I remember when I first saw "for rent" signs on houses near the campus of America's Brightest Orange, Oklahoma State University. Of course, everyone hears about plans of students living on campus before taking up another residence later on. I suppose I never took the time to realize that could be me. Well, here we are!

While I did not end up getting a house at age 19, I did sign the lease of a two-bedroom apartment unit with my lovely boyfriend of five years. Our own kitchen, our own living room, tons of closet space (all for me, right?), and only 23 neighboring units... God truly blessed me.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in a dorm. Seeing a new person every day simply by leaving my home away from home helped me cope with what was, at times, terrible homesickness. However, now my comfort won't be confined to a space that makes tiny-homers jealous. One of the best parts? It will cost about the same as a dorm, and the apartment is still right next to campus!

I say all of this to express that I have never felt so much like an adult ever in my life, perhaps because this is the most "adult" thing I've done thus far, other than go to college three hours away from home in the first place. I mean, signing a lease? Paying a security deposit? Shoot, we even found a subtenant for the summer! (Shout-out to our dear friend, Molly). I'm truly proud of us for getting so much done.

I am so proud of myself because I have always been almost phobic of growing up. I cried when I had to start shaving my legs, and I cried when I got my first period. I wanted to be the little girl that stayed little forever. Luckily, I fell in love with school, and my ambitions to be successful in my career outweighed my cling to childhood around junior year of high school. After that, the building blocks to adulthood were exciting for me, as I knew that meant I would become closer to achieving my dreams.

When I first came to college, one of the scariest parts was knowing I would have to go to the store and purchase things that would previously just appear in my house; shampoo, paper towels, the list goes on. I was sick to my stomach thinking I'd be without my parents to help me be an adult, but I did it. I bought household necessities and survived, and I survived when I signed the dotted line for my apartment without my parents being there, either. Although my parents help me in so many ways, I am slowly but surely facing my fears of growing up, and I'm excited to be doing it at OSU!