Ever since I was little, I have always felt that my answer to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" was insufficient to the adults who asked me.

I rehearsed an empty sing-song response for when I'd be asked this question because I never knew my answer, or rather, I knew an honest one would not seem impressive or ambitious enough.

This question never inspired dreams for me, only stress and anxiety about my future.

Saturday, the last night home with my parents before leaving for my fall semester of college, was extremely refreshing.

After discussing one of the craziest and most emotional summers of our lives, the highs and the lows, my dad looked at me and asked, "Megan, where do you see yourself in the future?"

Instantly I felt myself retract. Not because I didn't feel safe enough to discuss my hopes or dreams with my father, but because realistically, I didn't know the answer to his question. I was brought right back to the all-too familiar "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Even though I often enjoy fantasizing about what my far-off future could look like--traveling the world with the love of my life or having a beautiful white kitchen with sunflowers on the table and little nuggets running between my legs – I do not so much enjoy pondering the unknown, 3-years-away, fresh out-of-college future.

Honestly, I don't have a clue what I am going to do with my life.

I want you, reader, to know that it is perfectly okay not to know the answer to what you want your future will look like right now. You don't have to have it all planned out.

Maybe that's the opposite of wha most have told you in your life, but I promise you that if you spend every day stressing about finding "the answer" to this elusive question, you will end up miserable, anxious, and uninspired.

You don't know what you don't know - and that's perfectly okay.

One day during my senior year of high school when I was making my college decision, my mom looked at me and said, "You don't know what you don't know, right?" Her words encouraged me to go on an adventure and to experience college in New York City to discover my strengths and who I really am.

With her words in mind, I focused back on my dad's question and told him, "I really don't know, because there are so many things I don't know yet. I'm still learning."

He looked at me and said, "That's perfectly okay. You're in discovery-mode. Take your time and take it all in."

We are all in discovery-mode. We are all still learning. We are all trying to get it "right."

Here's why "idk" is an okay answer for you right now: you're on the balance beam of being a teenager and a true adult; we're passionate, hormonal, hot-headed, and indecisive. There's a reason some college students change their major 2-3 times before graduation. Everyday is full of learning; we're selling ourselves short by deciding on a career path before we're ready.

I want to encourage people to ask young college students these questions instead:

-What makes you joyful and excited about being alive?
-What motivates your thoughts and emotions, good or bad?
-What do you realistically want to change/influence about the world you live in?

That's when you will see our eyes light up. That's when we will be able to formulate an honest answer. That's when we will be able to add another puzzle piece to our unknown future.

My dad looked back at me and said, "Megan, sometimes I wish God would let me skip ahead a couple of chapters to see what will happen in your life," he added, "but if I could do that, I would miss all of the amazing ways you're growing and learning right now. I want to experience that with you."

Embrace this time of discovery fully and let your thoughts and feelings of inadequacy fade into the background. Experience the sweetness of not knowing everything that awaits you, and know that you will be prepared adequately for whatever comes your way. Try new things, laugh at dumb jokes, don't worry too much about the future - it will happen when it will happen - you can't control it.

Right now is our time not to know all the answers, but to learn them along the way. Embrace it.