One short week ago, I turned 18. I woke up that morning an adult. My family waltzed into my room cheering while saying, "Ok! You're an adult now! Time to get up and live your life!", as well as jokingly stating that I would be moving out that day. Though they were merely wishing me a happy birthday, their words sat differently with me. I really could move out that day; I really could begin the journey that is the rest of my life, legally, as an adult. I proceeded to research what I could do as an eighteen-year-old and found that I could legally buy a lottery ticket (still haven't done) or write my own will (which would realistically consist of used Coffee Bean gift cards and my dog). Though the list goes on, and gets pretty exciting, I began to realize that, wow, I'm now a legal adult. And so, I will begin my own list of what I've taken away from being 18 for a week:

The initial realization of being a legal adult

Like I expressed above, it hit me pretty hard that in the eyes of society, and the government, I am now a legal adult, fully capable of adult responsibility. No, this doesn't mean I will break the bank buying lotto tickets, but maybe this means I need to control my expenses and begin to budget *like an adult*. This also means that I need to think like an adult. Not that I'm a super "live life on the edge" type, I would consider making adult life choices, like getting up early to exercise, rather than sleeping until noon, or getting work done well ahead of time, rather than procrastinate as I did in high school. Over the past couple of years, I've come to terms with the fact that life stops for no one, so I need to be considerate of my decisions.

What lies ahead of me

I have my whole life ahead of me. When I was younger I used to think that once you hit 18, your life was pretty much over, that you would accomplish all you need to in those short, 18 years. However, now, I'm starting to figure out that my life isn't just over at 18, it's just getting started. I'm looking forward to making a difference in the lives of those around me, starting a family of my own, traveling with loved ones, etc. I'm ready to make my life my own.

College is a thing now

So yeah. College is coming up in less than 2 months. In this short amount of time, I'll have to say bye to my family, friends, and my beloved dogs. I'm definitely getting more anxious as the days pass by, but I'm also excited for the unvertainty that comes with living independently. Just a few days ago, my friends and I were talking about leaving home for the first time ever and all realized that maybe the longest we've ever been away from home was a maximum of 4 days. In two months, I will be saying goodby to my family and my home for at least two months. But this is an adult thing to do, to leave home to find myself, to figure out how I want to contribute to my community; and I couldn't be more excited.

Now is the time to be bold

As my parting statement and realization, I believe that I'm now ready to be bold in my life. To step outside of my comfort zone and walk around the walls that I spent so much time building. Life isn't just going to hand me opportunities; I have to be the one to seek them out. I have to make connections with peers; they won't just come up to me asking for a friend. I'm ready to embrace adulthood and all of its amazing opportunities, like being able to ride an electric scooter in LA, but I'm most excited to find myself and positively impact the lives of those around me.

Here's to 18.