At just a week shy of being 21 years old, I can guarantee that I am not who I thought I would be.

Growing up, we all have this image of who we think we’re going to be when we get to a certain age. At 11 years old, I thought that at 21 I would be living in Demi Lovato's shadow as a famous singer touring the world. Where am I now?

I’m almost 21 years old in college sitting comfortably on my couch knowing that I have three loads of laundry I need to get done and a bathroom to clean.

Ah, the stresses of adulthood.

In today’s world, all we see now are children, (when I say children, I mean children.) constantly on their phones taking selfies, wearing heavy makeup, and dressing in crop tops! I’m all the about the saying “You do you,” but maybe these kids should start listening to the saying, “Act your age.”

I'm so disappointed to know that today’s kids will never understand the joys of what being an actual child is like. I have so many fond memories of going to the park and riding bikes around the block with my sister in the summertime. Even though I was terrible at riding a bike (and still am), it was the little things like that, that helped me and my sister to bond and reflect on our childhood with the satisfaction of knowing that it was meaningful.

Funny thing is, during those times of being a kid and having fun, I wanted nothing more than to be a “grown-up.” My mother has always told me that I’m very independent. To this day, she reminds me that from the age of 3 until now, I have never stopped saying, “I’ll do it,” or “I want to do it.” I’ve always been one to want to take control.

As I’ve grown into the early stages of adulthood, there’s still that little Jessica inside of me that continues to say, “I want to do it.” Majority of the time, I like to depend on myself to get things done. Since I’ve always been this way, it didn’t hit me until recently that my life is starting to change.

I’m changing.

It’s scary because I’m now realizing that I’m becoming an adult.

Trust me, it’s not easy. Becoming an adult is probably worse than being 13 and getting your first period. I’m sure all of you that are in my shoes feel the exact same way.

As you grow up and work your way through school, you get told that college is going to be the best time of your life. Although that is very true, they never told you that college is going to be the most stressful time of your life.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve broken down this year alone from stress. These breakdowns weren’t only because I had too much to do. It was the time management aspect of it all. After living on my own for the past semester, I’ve really come to learn so much more about myself and what it takes to be an actual adult. Listen to me when I say, "Time management is key."

It’s times like these where I look back on my childhood and wish I could be on my old swing set again, throwing a ball to my old dog, and crying because I fell off of my bike and throwing a tantrum because I couldn't get a happy meal. Lowkey, I still do that when it comes to happy meals.

Instead, I stress over being able to afford everything, working enough so I can actually feed myself, and also make sure I have time for myself at a point too. I'm almost 21 years old, and I have grey hairs. Now you know that the stress is starting to get real.

But I also need to remember not to let a few grey hairs and some stress get in my way.

The child that I was ten years ago made me the adult that I am becoming today.

As I start to go through the stresses of life, I now know why my mother and sister always told me to enjoy being a kid while it lasts. Growing up sucks. But, it’s something that we all have to go through, unfortunately.

If there’s anything that I want anyone reading to take away from this, it’s this, “Never grow up.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re about to walk down the aisle or if your water just broke. Remembering that “you” child at heart is what’s going to remind you where you came from and help you flourish as you continue your journey to becoming an adult.