There has been so many times where I have heard to enjoy being young while it lasts and to live it up before I enter the real world. Once you graduate you’re going to get a career, get married, maybe have some kids. That equals a lot more responsibility for us young kids. And though I am very excited for that stage of my life, I am having way too much fun being this young.

I think the beauty of youth is the fact that you get to be wild and carefree. You may have some responsibilities as you grow but most of them have to do with yourself. High school is time to worry about football games and homecoming. Getting your first kiss and getting your license. Then you graduate and move to college and you work hard and study during the week but you also get to go out and have fun on the weekends. I think these times in our lives are often taken for granted. This is the time to eat Taco Bell at 2 a.m. and enjoy music festival and day parties.

When you’re young life can be so free. You will have plenty of time to have “marriage goals” and have kids. Trust me you will regret wishing away your youth when you are sitting there staring at a table full of bills. I don’t understand why people want to grow up so fast and look older. They want to act older and grow up too fast. Unfortunately, time is one thing that you can never get back. If you spend your youth wishing you were older, you will look back one day wishing you had time to be free again.

Now I don’t want people to think that youth doesn’t come with responsibilities. But most of them are to go to your part-time job to support your gas money that you waste driving around on the weekends just ‘cause you can. You spend money on things like ice cream, fast-food, and gas. As you grow you’ll start to put a little away for college (which is always a good idea).

This may seem to be a cliché article, but lately I have reflected a lot on who I am and who I used to be. And I can’t believe that it has gone by so fast. It is hard to believe that in a few short years I too will be thrown into the adult world.

So enjoy spontaneous road trips with a group of best friends, hike a mountain while you still have good health and stamina, spend your money on some silly things, go out with your friends and stay up til 1 am. You truly will never get this time of your life back.

You will never be as young as you are right now, so live in this moment.