Ah, the teen years. They can be the best and the absolute worst times in a person’s life, but they are filled with lessons to learn and growing up to do. I find myself doing a lot of looking back these days on my teenage years and I find that it’s an adventure I’m ready to put to rest. You see, in a few days, I’ll (finally) be turning a whopping 20-years-old, and with that, I can finally turn that last page of my teenaged chapter of life.
Starting from the beginning, 13 felt like a whole new world, and it was so easy to get swept up by it. Honestly, it kind of felt like a switch had been flipped and life became about makeup, talking about cute boys, and trying to fit in. I learned a lot from the theater department at my middle school. At first, I was admittedly, a bit intimidated by them, but everyone was so nice, and they taught me not to care so much about what everyone else thought of me.
Fourteen and 15 are years that kind of blend together for me. These were the early years of high school, where I was trying to make new friends, and find a new place to fit in because things changed after middle school. I transferred to a different high school away from all of my friends, even though I still lived in town. Of course, transferring turned out to be one of the better decisions of my young life. Early high school was great because I was exposed to a lot of new people, different from who I grew up with. I made new, better friends who cared more about me, and in truth, I learned more about what I can handle as a person.
With 16 and 17, my junior and senior years of high school; I feel like these two years went by faster than any other years of my life. Learning to drive, taking the ACT, applying to colleges; a bunch of things seemed to be just hitting at once, making us learn how to balance our lives. These were crazy years, but such important years, honestly, these were the make-or-break years of teenager-hood.
It’s kind of odd to think that even though I’m already technically an adult, I’m also simultaneously still technically a teenager as well. I would say, though, that these last two years have been great lessons both as an adult and a teenager. Turning 18 gave me a new sense of independence; especially with going off to college. I’ve learned so much more about myself in these last couple of years than I ever thought I would. I have learned who my real friends are; who will stick by me, even when we aren’t talking every day.
But alas, this chapter is coming to an end. And that’s okay. A new chapter awaits.
