It can be difficult to deal with the fact that each day we are getting older. As I get older, I begin to miss the early years of my youth when I didn’t have anything to worry about and everything seemed alright. Now I have to prepare for the years ahead of me which include college, bills and working. However, I had an epiphany recently, which was that growing up doesn’t always mean you have to abandon the things you love to do. 

I used to think that once I turned eighteen, I automatically had to leave the things I love to be taken seriously. That is not the case at all. You can do whatever you want at whatever age you are. Sure, there will be moments where you just might not have time to complete them but always try to keep that hobby or interest you have and don’t pay attention to what people have to say about it. 

Although adulting may be scary, it has its perks. Something good about adulting is the fact that you begin to be more independent. This allows you a chance to grow and experience new things on your own. Find new things you are passionate about and explore the endless things you never knew you liked. 

I was the type of person to just stay home most of the time. I rarely went out with friends and when I did, I would only go out for a short amount of time. To be completely honest, I actually liked to stay home because going out was pretty overwhelming for me. I made memories at home by doing the hobbies I like and was close to family. Now as I prepare to leave the house more often I realize that I have to learn how to speak to people. People have told me before that it’s okay to step outside my comfort zone. I try to keep this in my mind whenever I have to work with others or when I’m in a new situation.

It’s amusing to see how time passes by. When I was a freshman in high school, I always thought that my senior year would never come soon. Sadly time went by so fast. It’s a bittersweet feeling since I am glad I’m almost finished with high school but sad that I am leaving.

As I begin entering the real world, the only advice I can give is to make most of the early teenage years you have. Unfortunately, once it passes, you can never go back to those times. Do anything you want to do so in the future you won’t regret it. You’ll have things to look back on and hopefully, you’ll smile.