I remember very vividly that when I was younger, I was constantly thinking about what it was like to be "grown up" and what it was like to not be considered a "little kid" anymore. I watched family members and friends grow up but for some reason, I always felt as if I was never going to reach that stage of life. I was going to be stuck as a "little kid" forever. Entering 5th grade seemed like a task forever and ever away. But soon enough the days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years that just kept on speeding up. 5th grade was long behind me, so was 8th grade, and now here I am entering my sophomore year of college. As a sophomore in college, there is one very important thing I would tell my younger self. I would tell myself to not grow up so fast, to enjoy all the moments of being young because those are truly some of the best years of your life.

Lots of times I hear kids wishing they were grown up already, wishing they could drive a car, wishing they didn't have to go to school anymore and even wishing that they were working already. I remember I used to think that work just had to be better than sitting in school for hours on hours each day. As little kids, we start to feel the need to grow up, to leave our childhood innocence behind because being a "grown up" seems to be the coolest thing around. We become very consumed with the idea of not being a little kid or a "baby" anymore and we forget to enjoy the carefree lives we lead. I would tell my younger self to stop, look around and appreciate the simplicity of everything around you because it doesn't stay like that forever.

Being young, everything is so new, the world seems so big and we are so happy. I would tell myself to hold onto those moments and those memories because they are so pure and filled with joy. As a young adult, I find myself getting so wrapped up in my responsibilities that sometimes it is easy to forget all of the blessings life has to offer which is why I would tell my younger self to stay young and innocent as long as possible.

Although I am not by any means officially "grown up," being older does have its perks but there are days where I miss the easiness of life growing up. Figuring out who you are as a person and exploring new-found independence is definitely a plus. However, there are many things that change as you leave your younger years behind and enter into adulthood that you weren't entirely aware of. So in the end, I would mostly tell my younger self that it is okay to grow up and become who you want to be, but in the mean time take each day slowly and cherish your childhood. Don't try to grow up too quickly or grow up when you are not ready. Most importantly, I would tell myself that even when you do grow up, always keep a little bit of your childish heart with you and never let that spirit grow old.