Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote story after story and dreamed of having my work published. High school began and I took as many writing classes as I could, wrote almost every day, and started writing for Odyssey.

I was excited. It felt like a big step towards becoming a published writer. It was something out of my comfort zone. I had been afraid to publish my thoughts for so long. Odyssey gave me freedom to write about anything I wanted for people to see. It gave me the opportunity to meet other creators in my community. The final and best thing it gave me was a better understanding of myself and my goals.

Every week, I was throwing together a half thought out article an hour before the deadline. I realized that Odyssey values quantity over quality. It quickly became about making a numbered list and calling it an article, all while trying to get views with certain titles and shares on social media.

The more I wrote, the more I began to dislike it. I realized that this is not what I want to do my whole life. For me, writing is a hobby and a way to get my thoughts out when I need to. I will not allow it to become something I feel obligated to do every week.

I had my mind set on becoming a writer for so long that I never thought of other possibilities. Odyssey opened my eyes. I’m young. And when you’re young, you have to live as much as you possibly can. Live and experience as much as you can before you have to choose a career and start making a living. You don’t have to have your whole life figured out right now.

To anyone reading this, I challenge you to try new things. Step out of your comfort zone. You might discover something new about yourself. I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to write for Odyssey. With nothing but respect for this website and all of its creators, I've decided that it's no longer something I want to do.

Thank you Odyssey.