Skip to main content

And then I turned 21

Although the hangover is still problematic a few days after the big 2-1, and the memories are spotted... I did have the best day of my entire life.

I was able to bring in this monumental day with just about every single person I care about, and that is something I will never be able to thank everyone enough for. Honestly, it truly was the best.

This is just the beginning of a new chapter- one where I don't have to be fearful of those darn Iowa City  police, and I can finally have a beer after a rough week, and treat my mom to a little glass of wine on a Friday night.

Without my friends and family, where would I be today? I wouldn't be who I am, I wouldn't have the drive and ambition in my life that I do today, and I definitely would not have made it through my 21st birthday without them.

This is an annoyingly sappy post, but here's something a little less sappy and a little more sloppy: I may or may not have slipped off my own party bus, been hoisted atop of some landlord's shoulders, cried at a restaurant because they didn't sing me happy birthday, and I may have worn a flannel shirt. These things may have happened, but really, who's to say? 21st birthday's are expected to be like this...if not, you're no fun and you probably still like Pokemon (no shame).

But with this small milestone of a birthday, I came to the realization that I am a mere 9 years away from being 30, 5 years until I have to pay for my own health insurance, and only 1.5 years left of this wonderful adventure of college. It hit me, much like my hangover, rather hard. I have had an incredible journey thus far, and I can only hope for what's to come- but shit, the years fly.

If I've learned one thing from this birthday (besides saying no to tequila), it's that life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. At every mile you'll encounter a new hurdle or challenge. But these challenges aren't there to slow you down or discourage the adventure, they're there to inspire you and push you to live for the best. Because in all honesty, life is too beautiful to wish the days away, and life is too beautiful not to celebrate it with your best friends and family everyday.
Here's to 21, and the rest of the wonderful years ahead!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why we can learn from our dogs.

Beyoncé once asked, "Who run the world?", and she then answered for all of us when she obviously said, "Girls"...I mean it's true, we (as a collective gender) gave birth to the world. However, I think Queen Bey forgot something very important when it comes to people, and those who rule it--it would be impossible to run anything if you didn't have (hu)man's best friend by your side. Not only do dogs selflessly provide us with something to pet and keep us warm at night, but they provide us with undeniable and unrelenting love and affection. It would be pretty lonely ruling the world without a dog there to put a little pep into your step. It seems silly, really, that dogs don't get any credit for making the world a better place. It also seems silly that I'm even thinking about dogs ruling the world (hey, that's not a horrible idea). But I think there's some value into considering that while humans can change a dogs life, it's just as...
1 comment
Read more

Amster...dam(n), that was fun.

I have recently found myself double checking my memories- making sure things really happened, that I actually did the things I think I did, and saw the things I swear I saw, because with all this adventure going on in my life nothing seems real any more; like it's one big dream that I don't want to wake up from. It's a good thing I always carry my Nikon around with me to back up my illusive memories- for proof that my life is actually as exciting as my thoughts tend to illustrate. For the past two days, I found myself in Amsterdam . The best part is, I was able to explore the fascinating place with my friends who flew in from Rome, Florence and London. It was such a glorious feeling to have Katie in my arms, to chow down with Lindsay and Maria, and to do stupid things with Mallory and Heidi- all while being in a foreign (seriously, so foreign) land. Before I landed in the city of canals, I knew very little about it. I suppose research would have been a standard idea, bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank you, Dad.

Although there are millions of men and women who deserve endless amounts of praise and thanks for all that they have done for our country, there is one special guy I'd like to thank especially. My dad. It's been years since the man has seen combat, or even been in the cock-pit of his most prized Huey Helicopter, but that hasn't stopped him from sharing his memories with me. Ironically the idiot joined the Marine Corps on a dare by his college roommates, but that dare turned into something much more than a whim.  After more than a decade spent serving our country, my father left the Corps as a Major, and would be one of the highest ranked Marines today if it weren't for me. My dad gave up his career in the military so I wouldn't have to move from place to place, fighting to fit in and becoming detached from society. My dad gave up so much to simply be my dad, and that's something I will never be able to express my complete gratitude for.  My dad i...
2 comments
Read more