Identity is the type of thing that becomes more abstract and existential the more one thinks about it. The thought of what makes us who we are as individuals can vary depending on the day, who we are speaking with, and what we have accomplished that is fresh on our minds. When I say who I am, I talk about what interests me, what I do, and what I am passionate about. All of these things are instigated by a certain desire- a desire to have a successful career, to become recognized, to have companionship and stability.

It is not essential that we figure out all of this now, and the longing for all of these things is what drives us and makes our youthful years so full of life. That drive and openness to opportunity and possibility makes our young years so exciting, before any possible major rejection or disappointment sets in. The unknown is what keeps us trying to figure out who we are. I feel my self-identification changing with different places, interactions with new people, and what I am focused on in a certain moment. My identity at Bucknell is slightly different from my identity at home, and my identity at home is slightly different from my identity when I was abroad- yet I still see these different identities constantly converging and meshing. At Bucknell, it is difficult to be concerned with much besides school work, friends, and looking for a job or internship. Those are the priorities that we have in mind at Bucknell, and the goals that the school instills in its students on a daily basis.

While abroad in Florence, I was less of a student and more of a food-lover, a historian, and a traveller. I was a young adult who was deeply curious, and would not settle for routine or monotony. I like to think that I carried those identifiers back to Bucknell with me, but some of them seem to fade in this context. At home, I am a daughter and a sister. That never changes, but other aspects become seemingly more important in other conditions- it all depends on the discourse that you are surrounded by.

I am taking a class on the History of Sexuality, and one of the most discussed themes in the class is identity and how it relates to intersectionality and social construction. Our identities are not defined by just one thing, but they are a culmination of many factors and traits. For example, I could define myself as a female. But on top of that, I am a white, heterosexual, 21-year old female with American citizenship and two biological parents with roots in Scotland and England. Your identity is not merely one thing, but a web of self-described traits, features, actions, and thoughts that you stand on top of. This raises the question of the extent that identity pertains to one's actions, rather than how one refers to oneself. Plenty of people have partaken in illegal activity without ever being caught- in that regard, are these individuals criminals? How much of how you define yourself is tied into the actions that you take? Questions such as that blur the lines as to what constitutes identity, and why it can be such an arbitrary term.

I do not necessarily feel the need to try and define my identity. All I know is what I do, the person who I want to be, and what I have accomplished and hope to accomplish. It is impossible to fully define yourself and claim your own identity, and I think that is ok.