For most, turning twenty and leaving the teenage years behind is an exciting time. For me; however, I cringe at the thought of turning twenty. I’ve never been one for change. The end of the school year, changing grades, changing schools, getting older, I’ve always met with trepidation. Eventually, I'll come to accept it, but until that time, it’s not fun.

Leaving my teenage years means growing up and taking on “adult” responsibilities. Entering my twenties means entering a new decade. I have two more years of college equaling out to two more years of as the cool kids say, “Getting my life together.” I have 60 more credit hours to figure out which path I want to take for a career. Time is winding down, being a kid is no longer an option. As society tells us to grow up, I want to do the opposite.

After 20, comes 21. While that’s an exciting birthday, that’s the last milestone birthday until turning a quarter of a century (which is a scary thought). Then, after that, it’s 30, and by that time I’ll probably be in a midlife crisis, just because I’m turning 30, and just yesterday I was turning 20! Something similar to how Rachel in the show “Friends” reacted to turning 30.

As a little kid, it seemed like 20 was so grown up, there was so much you were able to do. Now, here I am as a twenty year old, and there’s so much I HAVE to do. I now HAVE to worry about getting a job when I graduate college. I HAVE to purchase things on my own. I HAVE to be responsible for everything I do.

I thought that when I graduated high school and held my first job, my summers were over. Little did I know, I still had a summer! This past week I began my first internship, a full time, paid position. I wake up at 6:15 a.m., leave the house by 7 a.m., and hope traffic is light, so I can get to work by 8 a.m. From 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., I sit at a desk and stare at the computer for hours on end. Of course, I am loving the experience and everything I am learning, but when I look outside the window at the bright shining sun, I yearn for the summers when I could lounge by the pool, and not have to worry about anything but what’s for lunch.