This past Friday was supposed to be my graduation date. After two wonderful years at this university, I was "supposed" to be crossing the stage with the largest class in the history of my current university, but I did not and that's OK. Life has had a way to surprise me since I graduated high school. For one, I went back to school after graduating high school when I didn't plan to return at all. I ended up at a college that I hadn't planned on ending up in, in a place that I hadn't planned on staying for long in. I ended up with a major that I never thought I'd be brave enough to pursue and have managed jobs that I would have never imagined myself in. The last five years have been unplanned and unimaginable in every way possible, but they've been worth it all the same. Even though I didn't get to cross the stage with what was supposed to be my graduating class, the experiences that I've gotten in return far outweigh the delayed graduation date. I've gotten to take summers off and spend them with the people I love. In the last five years, I've gotten to know myself and my passions far more in depth than if I had jumped into college right out of high school. I've managed to pursue passions that I never thought I'd be brave enough to pursue and I've gotten to know just how much little ole me is really capable of when she's left to her own devices. I've gotten to learn from the best professors and focus on subjects that I never thought I'd get the chance to learn more about. I've gotten to write and build a portfolio that I'm actually proud of. Despite the delayed graduation date, I'm still proud of everything I've managed to accomplish in the last five years. I've turned into someone that I wouldn't have recognized 5 years ago in the best way possible. I honestly believe that I am happier now than I would have been if I had stayed on the path that I thought I was supposed to stay on. I chose this path all on my own, with my eyes wide open to the consequences and the costs of it all, but it's mine. After I finish this year, I'll get to say I did this all on my own and that is enough of an accomplishment for me. I don't feel bad for delaying my graduation date. I don't feel like a failure or unaccomplished in any way. I feel like this is exactly the place where I'm supposed to be at this exact moment and I can't wait to see what else this year has in store for me.