Every human, whether they have discovered it or not, possess a passion. Every human has something they do that makes them feel meaningful and happy. For me, my passion is writing. For as long as I can remember, I have kept a journal, writing about everything that goes on in my life. I like to jot down ideas – abstract and concrete – my dreams and moments I want to remember one day when photographs and my writings are the only sources I have of memories. Four months ago, after submitting some work of mine to Odyssey, I received an email saying I had been chosen to be one of the newest Odyssey writers. I was overjoyed when I received the email, and I remember feeling so happy and accomplished. Writing is my passion, and it has been my lifelong support, and I was so excited to say that my writing would be published for the first time ever.

Recently, I have seen a few posts on social media, even one by a friend of mine from high school, throwing negativity and rude words toward Odyssey. Yes, Facebook feeds are filled with these articles today. Odyssey receives about 30 million unique page views per month and reaches audiences all over the world. It's safe to say that when an article is popular on Odyssey, it's all over social media feeds everywhere. It's no secret people might get annoyed seeing all of the "Open Letter" and "20 Signs You're..." articles. The negative posts I have seen regarding Odyssey and the articles written by Odyssey authors, however, have stated that they are "mediocre" and "ignorant."

Let me first start off by saying that Odyssey is a social content platform that is an outlet for millennial thought leaders and writers. As Odyssey content creators, we write about things we know. We write about things that are real. During my time as an Odyssey writer, I have written about things, such as my best friends, my high school, what I have experienced thus far as a college student and some words to my late father. These are all things I know. I am expressing my opinions, feelings and sharing my experiences with the readers. That is exactly the kind of writing Odyssey is intended for. Odyssey articles are also supposed to be relatable. That is the entire reason the website was started in the first place. The articles are geared toward college audiences because they are written by college students.

I think some of my favorite experiences so far when it comes to Odyssey are times when I have received messages on social media and comments and shares on my article saying that my writing and my article related to them and meant something to them. We, as humans, like to read quotes and articles and listen to songs that say the words we are afraid to say. We feel comfort in knowing that someone else in the world feels the same way we do. If my writing can make someone out there feel a little better, or make them feel like they can relate to me even though we don't know each other, then that is a reason to do this.

I write for Odyssey because not only do I get to write and have my work published every week, I get to share it with the world and with the people around me. I write for Odyssey because we are given incredible opportunities, such as the opportunity to have summer internships in New York, connecting with people all over, meeting new people at my school and creating friendships with people who share our same passion, which is writing. Some people compare Odyssey to reading someone's journal in a negative way, but that is exactly what it is. We write about things we feel and know and hope that someone out there can relate to. Odyssey is not a newspaper or the Wall Street Journal. We are completely real, authentic millennials who have the courage and power to share our ideas, opinions and experiences with the world.

So, to anyone who bashes Odyssey or makes fun of it, please realize we do not care. Yes, I dedicated a whole article to your negativity, but I did it to inform people that doing what you love is what life is meant for. Why aren't we all supporting everyone around us to do what they love? Why is it 2016, and people are still tearing other people down? I will never apologize or feel bad for doing what I love. Sure, it has made me feel a little weird and annoyed when I have seen the few negative posts about it, but in the end, my Odyssey friends and I just laugh at the hate. We realize we have an amazing internship right in our hands, and we are putting out content that matters to us while haters are only putting out their negative tweets and Facebook statuses people won't even remember tomorrow. We have our names out there, an internship, published work and all you have is a negative tweet and a few favorites. Writing is a way to express, and I hope people realize Odyssey is an incredibly popular and successful community that does just that, and I am so proud to be a part of it.

Go out today, wake up tomorrow morning and the day after that and challenge yourself to encourage another person to do what they love. Do what you love. Life is short; make yourself proud.