It's something that the majority of my friends talk about often: "I'm not ready to adult. It's too hard."

While I agree with them sometimes, and do feel unprepared for this newfound independence at points, lately I've found myself disagreeing.

My college situation has been different than most people's. I started at a university in Indiana, then studied abroad in Ireland my sophomore year. From there, I decided that I liked my study abroad university better than my home university, and decided to transfer. I had already changed my major several times, and making this decision meant starting from scratch all over again. That was a tough pill to swallow. I'd be starting as a first year all over again, and nothing I had done previously counted for credit. Annoying, right? For this reason, I've experienced a lot more college days than many of my peers, and I feel a lot older.

I've grown out of the carefree attitude that a lot of university students have or have had. For me, college was never about partying or going out, even though that plays a big role in growing up for a lot of people. I think I skipped that phase. Some of my friends are still really into that concept - going hard while they still have time for it. Personally, I know what I like and don't like, and I'd rather take the road that feels right for me.

The truth is, I feel ready for the future. Traveling across the ocean and away from your family tends to make you grow up. You learn to do things for yourself and to be a problem solver. You can't rely on anyone besides yourself when you're alone in a foreign country. I've had to motivate myself, pay bills on time, job hunt, and work out transportation. Really, that's half of what being an adult is.

I find myself being quite tired of the school grind, as I've been doing it for a while now. I'm looking towards what comes after school. I want a big kid job, new opportunities, and a fresh start. It might sound pretentious or stuck up, and I don't mean it to be, but I feel like I'm beyond this. My mind vision has pushed past the present and longs for the future.

My dad has always said that my brother and I are old souls. We've always spoken like we were wise beyond our years, and acted like we didn't belong in our little kid bodies. I never considered that he might be right until now. Seeing my siblings get married, have families, and do work they love has me feeling left behind. The way they've matured has pushed me to do the same, and I want to be at that stage in my life. I mean, by no means am I ready to have a family, but when it comes to the work part of adulthood, and the independence that comes with it, I feel prepared.

While many people I'm surrounded by feel like adulthood is approaching too fast, I feel like time has slowed down.

I'm stuck at a red light, engine running and revving - ready to hit the gas and fly forward.