Birthdays are so much more than just getting presents and having cake. Celebrating the day that you're born is a reminder of how far you've come throughout the years. At 10 years old you finally hit the double digit mark, 16 you could drive, 18 you were officially an adult and you could buy a lottery ticket, and 21 was the year to drink legally.
This year (actually this week), I'll be celebrating my 22nd birthday. I consider my version of New Years Day to be my birthday. The week leading up to the anniversary of when I came into this world, I try to list a few things that I went through that made me stronger, and some of the lessons I learned. Throughout the past year, I have managed to have my first sip of alcohol ever, worked at a country club, said goodbye to my "big brother" figure and his wife as they moved to SC, traveled 14 hours by car to see a special someone in a span of 26 hours, moved back home, lost a grandparent, and began my final year of undergrad. I learned to tell the people you love that you love them everyday, because you never know when they are going to leave the world. I learned that loving yourself first is much more important than loving someone else. I re-learned and have been reminded to trust God and always make sure I am doing my best for Him. Overall, my 21st year on earth was pretty special.
Looking forward to the year of my 22nd, I have some pretty big milestones ahead of me: finishing my last season as a college athlete, graduating from college, and trying to find a job. My 22nd year is also going to be me working on making myself a better person. I want to get closer to God, step out of my comfort zone, and experience new things. Maybe I'll travel to a new city, or try something I never would have before, and just be more 'go with the flow'. 22 is going to be the year of firsts, the year of good times, and the year of good company.
To my 21st year, you were oh so good to me and taught me a lot about love, friends, family, and life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being great. But, I now must move onto my 22nd year. To my 22nd year, I am ready to take you on and rock your world. We are going to have so many adventures together, and I want to explore and see what is out there for me to see. Get ready world, because as Taylor Swift puts it, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22."
