Where do I hope to be in five years?

Well, I will be almost 25 years old and hopefully graduated from school (unless I go to law school). I could say that I hope to have a job but to be honest, I’m not sure that's entirely true.

Part of me wants to travel the world, see new places, meet new people. I want to travel to Africa so I can go on a safari, I want to travel to Bora Bora to see the crystal clear water, and I want to travel to Thailand to get in touch with myself on an entirely new level I never thought was possible.

I have always believed traveling reveals a lot about a person, especially when done alone. The places you can venture to in this world are absolutely magical and each place can reveal something new about you.

I could also say I hope to have a significant other, but I have never tried to rush that. I have never forced myself to find a boyfriend, or forced myself to hookup with boys. I know that when the time is right, someone will come into my life and everything will fall into place. I have never had the mindset that having a boyfriend will fix all my problems. I know relationships can be extremely difficult which is why, sure if I have a boyfriend at the age of 25, that is fantastic, but if I don’t, there is absolutely no rush.

Do I want a house? Not really. I love apartments and condos. Living on my own is something I treasure. To currently be 18, almost 19, and living on my own is something I will never take for granted. It is the best thing that has happened to be, especially since I am an extremely independent person. I want to live on my own until I am ready to settle down with someone and start a family. Having a few years to yourself, being on your own and figuring life out on your own is very important. It can be terrifying at first but in the end its very rewarding.

The one thing I do know is that when I am 25, I will not be living in Massachusetts. I absolutely love it here, the people are great, the business is booming, and the seasons are beautiful. Regardless of all the upsides, I know I need to move away for a while. Eventually I might come back when it is time to start a family, since it is a great place to raise one.

I know that while I am living on my own and figuring out my life, I need to move away. I need to move away from my friends and my family, ultimately move away from my comfort zone. It is so important to jump out of your comfort zone, and moving across the country or maybe even across the world is something I need to do at least once in my lifetime.

Most importantly, I hope in five years I will be genuinely happy. I will be filled with knowledge, power, adventure, and happiness. I hope that I am in a place in my life where I don't have to worry about taking medicine all the time, or I don’t have to worry about slipping backwards into deep, dark thoughts. I hope it is a thing of the past at that point. Something I can say I struggled with for many years, something I overcame, and something that has made me who I am.

I hope I won't be hyperfocused on my appearance and every piece of food I put in my mouth. I hope I won’t spend days in bed never wanting to move. I hope that I can’t wait to wake up the next morning to see what the new day has to offer. Happiness makes everything else in life fall into place.

So when I get asked where I hope to be in five years my only answer is, I hope I am happy.