One foot in, and one foot out the door into the real world. Despite experiencing a bar late-night in LA for the first time, 21 is, dare I say, sobering.

Thirteen was puberty. Thirteen was so uncomfortable, and so I shied away from the unknown. Eighteen was becoming legal, and that was so exciting. As unknown as my future was at that point, there wasn’t a care in the world. I was out of the house, and embraced the unknown I was around. And now, I’m twenty. With both the feelings of discomfort and excitement fighting out in my mind. I gave myself more time to process these feelings, and I actually needed more time because the quarter system continues to quarter.

There’s much to look back on before I go forward, but I’ll try not to get ahead of myself.

Starting the early morning academically peer editing, and later sitting in a lecture over Zoom. Sometimes, sometimes it feels like nothings changed. Even as there was much others and I left behind graduating.

There’s no other way to welcome another year of life, than to be working on your Spanish homework in a Discord call with your friends because they want to chill and play Among Us.

What I can say is that today is a memory I want to remember.

The general reaction for junior year has definitely been a mixed bag for me, and I’ve seen the memes left and right.

I have my regrets about going alone to formal again, but the flexibility I had seeing everyone just have a blast really does compensate for everything.

As another birthday passes and I turn fifteen, I have to personally ask myself to reflect over another year of personal growth. This last year, as I left one friendship, I began to create more.

I admit, it was all uncomfortable at first, and unsettling that I went along, but getting hyped was all I needed.