Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fifteen: The Awkward Limbo of Young Adulthood
It's nearing the end of my fifth semester of college. I'm on the verge of advancing further in my program, taking a teaching certification exam, turning twenty-one, and looking at locations for a potential future job. It's strange to think about when I first started my adventure towards college, completely unaware of what I would find here. I've discovered many treasures, but I've also found many hard spots in my experiences.
Being a young adult is nothing what I expected. At 16 years old, the idea of adulthood seems so tantalizing; it's so close and yet so far away. Visions of independence, freedom, and excitement surround the mind, tainting our view of life. "Just let me grow up already," is a thought that occurs much too often...and yet, those couple of years that seemed so far, approach so fast.
Before we know it, we're 18 years old, and on the way to graduation. We've either applied to college or university, joined the workforce, or found a trade school. We followed our hearts with enthusiasm and excitement. "This is it," we breathe, "the moment I've been waiting for my whole life." We meet new friends, we take new classes, we gain new experiences. At 18 years old, we are greeted by independence and freedom, but they seem to rip away from our grasp all the same.
We're reminded often of our financial instability, and how much we really don't know about the world. We have moments where we have to be alone with ourselves, and convince ourselves to leave our dorm or room for another long, hard day. We live in two worlds: one of security and surrendering of independence, and one that demands experience we don't have, a world of risks without promises. Our souls are ripped between the two for growth, but there's a reason why they're called growing pains. Reality sets in, and we are faced with choices that seemingly weigh a ton. At 18-20 years old, we find our shoulders bearing new burdens that we weren't told to expect. The warnings from parents, friends, teachers echoed in our minds, "college is tough," or "the real world is tough," but we didn't expect it in this way.
Well, friends, I'm not here to tell you that everything is going to be what we want. I'm not here to tell you that tomorrow we will just understand life as a whole, and it won't be hard anymore. And I'm not here to write about how to deal with this pressure, because honestly, I struggle with this everyday. Some days are worse than others, but we cannot forget that some days are much better than others. No, I can't tell you if everything will work out; however, I can tell you that you will grow.
Yeah, we're in an awkward spot as twenty-somethings, but that's kind of the beauty of it all. We're so young and full of enthusiasm and hope - a youthful spirit that can propel us forward. We have the opportunity to learn, and grow, and change. We have support from parents, siblings, mentors, and friends. In the moment, it may seem like life is in shambles, and we can barely pick up the pieces...but if we look up from our misery, we usually can find someone else helping us pick up our shambles.
I started this blog post when I was having a bad day. I was sad, and overwhelmed with my poor afternoon. But I'm finishing this post off on a hopeful note because I know that there are wonderful plans and paths ahead...many more good days than bad. I am hopeful. I'm hopeful for my mess of a life, as well as yours.
So, to finish this blog off, I encourage you to be hopeful! You are so much more than your bad days. I also want to be hopeful that just as others help us, we will be willing to help others.
Tops off to a great November! Let's look forward to an even greater December, and soon, a new year! As always, thank you so much for reading.
Being a young adult is nothing what I expected. At 16 years old, the idea of adulthood seems so tantalizing; it's so close and yet so far away. Visions of independence, freedom, and excitement surround the mind, tainting our view of life. "Just let me grow up already," is a thought that occurs much too often...and yet, those couple of years that seemed so far, approach so fast.
Before we know it, we're 18 years old, and on the way to graduation. We've either applied to college or university, joined the workforce, or found a trade school. We followed our hearts with enthusiasm and excitement. "This is it," we breathe, "the moment I've been waiting for my whole life." We meet new friends, we take new classes, we gain new experiences. At 18 years old, we are greeted by independence and freedom, but they seem to rip away from our grasp all the same.
We're reminded often of our financial instability, and how much we really don't know about the world. We have moments where we have to be alone with ourselves, and convince ourselves to leave our dorm or room for another long, hard day. We live in two worlds: one of security and surrendering of independence, and one that demands experience we don't have, a world of risks without promises. Our souls are ripped between the two for growth, but there's a reason why they're called growing pains. Reality sets in, and we are faced with choices that seemingly weigh a ton. At 18-20 years old, we find our shoulders bearing new burdens that we weren't told to expect. The warnings from parents, friends, teachers echoed in our minds, "college is tough," or "the real world is tough," but we didn't expect it in this way.
As young adults, we're in this awkward position, this sort of limbo, between teen and adult life.
Well, friends, I'm not here to tell you that everything is going to be what we want. I'm not here to tell you that tomorrow we will just understand life as a whole, and it won't be hard anymore. And I'm not here to write about how to deal with this pressure, because honestly, I struggle with this everyday. Some days are worse than others, but we cannot forget that some days are much better than others. No, I can't tell you if everything will work out; however, I can tell you that you will grow.
Yeah, we're in an awkward spot as twenty-somethings, but that's kind of the beauty of it all. We're so young and full of enthusiasm and hope - a youthful spirit that can propel us forward. We have the opportunity to learn, and grow, and change. We have support from parents, siblings, mentors, and friends. In the moment, it may seem like life is in shambles, and we can barely pick up the pieces...but if we look up from our misery, we usually can find someone else helping us pick up our shambles.
My wonderful family at Thanksgiving
I started this blog post when I was having a bad day. I was sad, and overwhelmed with my poor afternoon. But I'm finishing this post off on a hopeful note because I know that there are wonderful plans and paths ahead...many more good days than bad. I am hopeful. I'm hopeful for my mess of a life, as well as yours.
So, to finish this blog off, I encourage you to be hopeful! You are so much more than your bad days. I also want to be hopeful that just as others help us, we will be willing to help others.
Tops off to a great November! Let's look forward to an even greater December, and soon, a new year! As always, thank you so much for reading.
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