As a Taylor Swift fanatic, I felt obligated to make an article of some sort regarding the fact that I will be turning 22 on May 10th, 2018 (And yes, I have been blasting "22" by Taylor Swift" since January thank you very much).
When I turned 21, I wasn't sure how being 21 would feel any different than being 20 had felt, or even 19. I had thought that I would feel the same way now as I prepare to turn 22 years old, but I don't. Within the last year, I've learned so much more about myself and about the world and I can truly say that I am stepping into 22 a wiser and more open-minded person.
At 21, I was hesitant to trust people. I had seen so many people lie to me and saw just how far some people are willing to go to succeed and climb the ladder.
At 21, I was bitter to the world and focused more on grades and how others saw me rather than how I saw myself and taking care of myself.
At 21, I thought "self-care" was a load of crap and a waste of time. Why practice "self-care" when I could be writing an essay or building my resume`?
At 21, I did not believe that in order to receive the most in life, you don't have to love yourself.
At (almost) 22, I'm realizing that so much of what I thought at 21 was a lie.
In Taylor Swift's song "22", she puts forth the idea that being 22 is about having spontaneous fun, being with friends, and embracing life in all that it is: heartbreak, excitement, love, sadness, and confusion. It's occurred to me lately that this song is so much more than a fun tune to dance to or to blast in the car with your friends. It holds so much truth.
Turning 22 is exciting but scary. I'm growing older but also, ADULTING.
I'm becoming adult and am slowly being exposed to the horrors of what adult life entails. From researching car insurance to paying taxes, being an adult is less than exciting. But turning 22 is also fun and exciting. While I'd thought having fun at this age meant drinking and staying out late, I've found out that having a blast at 22 means baking brownies with your best friend, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and gong for a drive with all of the windows down and music blasting.
Sometimes the best Saturday nights are spend dying your best friend's hair and laughing at memes.
At 22, I feel happy to be alive, free to make my own decisions, confused on what being an adult really means and how to do it properly, and lonely when I'm pushed to my limits. Sometimes all of these happen at the same time, just like Queen Tay-Tay told us. Regardless of how hard or how fun 21 was, I'm excited to see what this year will bring me.
And, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22.
