TwentySomething

On Saturday, I turned 20. I celebrated my birthday with my parents, my brother, his girlfriend, and both sets of my grandparents, eating cake and opening gifts. Later at night, I was reunited with my best friend, Joanna, who left for Auburn University in August. I hadn't seen her in nearly four months, and it was wonderful to catch up with her and Catherine, another of my closest friends who I don't hang out with nearly enough.

Two of my best friends from high school, Joanna (middle) and Cat

Being twenty years old feels so much different than being 19! Last year, I was struggling to adjust to college life and was showing the early symptoms of what would turn out to be mono, so turning 19 years old wasn't the most pressing matter on my mind. This year, though, I'm hyperaware of the fact that I'm not a teenager anymore, that I am a real-life adult. But even though it scares me a little to lose that safety net, I'm extremely comfortable about where I am in life and eager to accept whatever challenges come my way this year!

I've comprised a list entitled "20 Before 21," which includes 20 different things I'd like to accomplish before I turn 21. I'm so excited to start crossing things off the list! Some of my goals are just for fun or things I wouldn't do if I didn't give myself a deadline (for instance, I've been meaning to read Paradise Lost for years and just haven't gotten around to it), but some of them involve finding a job or internship, things that will prepare me for the "real world" that will inevitably arrive after college.

Excitingly, I'll be able to cross something off my list - write for CollegeFashion.net! I've read the articles on this website religiously since I was a freshman in high school, and I was honored that they accepted my application and offered me a position as a contributing writer next semester! So far my 20 Before 21 is off to a good start, I'm still enjoying my birthday chocolate-covered strawberries, and 20 in general seems like it's going to be a good year.