Do you remember saying over and over as a child that you could not wait to grow up? What were you told by the adult in your life? My parents told me 'no you don't. Enjoy being a kid while you can.' I never understood why I would want to stay a child for as long as I could.

Now, at the age of 24, I do.

Growing up, I feel kids more look forward to being able to make their own rules and buy alcohol. Oh, and we can't forget about being able to drive.

As kids, we don't get to see or even realize the hell a lot of families go through financially. What we do not recognize as children are that we will likely live lives just like our parents; at least for a little while. That is because, generally, parents are masters at keeping those kinds of things hidden from their children. "But they always get me gifts for my birthday and Christmas," or "but we always go out and do things." Yes, this may be true, but what you don't know is that they just maxed out their credit card; again. What you don't know is that they held off on paying a couple of bills to ensure your happiness.

As children, we do not usually see the struggles and the pains that come with parenthood, hell, that come with being an adult trying to make it through life alive. As an adult, children or not, you begin to see and even feel what your parents had gone through when you were growing up. You start to understand and have moments where you are just dumbfounded at how wrong you were even though you fought to the nail about how right you were.

Being an adult sucks. You are either working part-time, full-time or not at all while either going to school full-time, part-time, or not at all. You may also be raising a child or children on top of everything else. Oh, and we cannot forget to add on the cleaning and cooking on top of work, school, and children. *laughs* did you think I finished so soon? Wrong. You also need to add in the bills, the birthdays, Christmas's, mini vacations (staycations) or even larger vacations, and all of the food eaten throughout the year, the school shopping (clothes AND supplies).

For me, my life includes going to work 20-25 hours a week with an hour drive commute each day that I work (half hour to and half hour from), going to school online full-time because it benefits my schedule. Then there is taking care of my two young children (ages five and two), and writing content weekly for Odyssey and running our Facebook page SNHU Odyssey. There is also the cleaning and the cooking that I do in between everything else. Some days my life feels rewarding, and other days I hate where my life is at.

You find yourself, or you begin to see yourself when you become an adult because of the juggling of daily tasks. For me, I am still figuring out who I am, which is a struggle all on its own. This year has been my toughest year, and it has also been the year where I have figured out more about myself than in the previous years. I am stronger than I have ever been and I am sticking up for myself.

Just enjoy being young and having nothing to worry about. Stay as stress-free as you can for as long as you can because, one day, there may be so much stress in your life that you have to fight to stay happy.