So many people wait anxiously to turn 18, and honestly, it was as magical as I always thought it was going to be. On my birthday, my parents were so cute and gave me 18 gifts that represented something I could finally do now that I was officially an adult. While I knew becoming a legal adult was going to be so much fun, it went hand-in-hand with a lot of responsibility that tended to surprise me.

As my life as an 18-year-old was just beginning, my high school career was coming to an end. Being a second-semester senior was exhilarating, given there was a senior event happening practically every week and I could finally stay out late enough to enjoy them.

I participated in my first protest and voted for the first time as I became more involved in politics. I traveled to different states to find the college that was best fit for me. I even taught my very first lesson to a 5th-grade class. I went to prom, found a group of forever friends, and received awards among my best friends for all of our achievements throughout high school.

Of course, I graduated with people I have known since preschool, a happy moment which signified that actual adulthood was just around the corner. My summer of being 18-years-old involved a lot of great music, adventures with friends, and working since college isn't just going to pay for itself.

I feel like the best part of being 18 is that it is a complete balance of what everyone wants in life. There's a lot of freedom to do what you want and start the journey of being independent, but there are the challenges of figuring out what your next step is going to be. The great thing is though, you get to choose exactly what that next step is. Being 18 provides you with happiness and autonomy while definitely still challenging you along the way.

The major thing that happened during my year of being 18 is that I started school at a university that continues to provide me with so many opportunities. You can watch as many Youtube videos and read as many articles as you want, but transitioning into college life is pretty hard to plan out.

I joined a club in which I teach English to Cambodian students online, learned from my mistakes on how to do laundry correctly, and I figured out how to manage both school and my personal life without a set schedule. I started writing for Odyssey—something that I'm continuously grateful for—kept in touch with my best friends from back home, and continued to make amazing new ones at school.

Although this year provided me with a lot of great experiences, there were a lot of struggles behind the scenes. However, those were to be expected as the transition to adulthood is not always an easy one. Luckily, I feel as though the struggles and successes I had as an 18-year-old provided me with a foundation to make age 19 so much better.

Being 18 was exciting, emotional, nerve-wracking, and wonderful all at the same time, and I wouldn't change it for anything. As the days near to my 19th birthday, I am still left with many unanswered questions and experiences I have yet to tackle, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for all that age 18 was.

As they say, just because something is not quite figured out does not mean that nothing was accomplished.

Here's to the last year of being a teenager. I'm bound to make it one that counts.