On November 14, 2018, I hit the Golden Age of youth. I became 21 years old and I couldn't be happier about it. However, my joy didn't just come from achieving a social milestone or finally becoming legal. My joy came from being struck with the sudden realization that my 20th year of life was finally over. Being 20 was a particularly rough time for me emotionally and financially.

In May, I lost my car in a hit and run accident in the middle of the night. It was a dark highway and I didn't see it coming and no one was willing to stop and help me. I was alone and afraid until my boyfriend and first responders arrived. I was - and still am - completely traumatized. In the months after, my car insurance company turned out to be a scam and refused to pay for the damages and left me drowning in credit card and loan debt. I don't know how many 20-year-old college students have had to file a civil lawsuit, but I do know I became one of them.

Because of the injuries I sustained, I was prescribed some hardcore medications that were very tempting in the moments when I felt like giving up. My school and social life almost crumbled completely. It was a struggle to get up every day and push myself to find stories and shed light on other people's issues when I couldn't find the strength to fix my own. It was sometimes physically painful to get up and drive to the main campus every day without knowing if I'll have enough gas to get back home or food for that day or the next.

If it weren't for the support of my boyfriend, dad, and stepmom, I honestly don't know where I'd be right now. I'm forever grateful and indebted to them for their kindness. My boyfriend never gave up on me emotionally, no matter how hard depression and anxious fits got. My dad selflessly gave up his own car for me to use and went out and bought another cheaper one for himself. My stepmom never made me leave their home in South Florida without a full stomach and leftovers and anything else she could find that would me out.

For my birthday, my boyfriend and I drove to Tampa to experience St. Petersburg's oldest living museum, Sunken Gardens. We walked along the pier, visited art galleries and barhopped on Beach Drive. It was more than I could've ever wanted.

Now that I'm 21, I feel like a new chapter has been unveiled to me. I feel a renewed confidence and refreshing optimism for the future. Even though I'm getting busier each semester, I plan on seeking treatment for my trauma and working on positive coping habits. I try to be kind to every soul I encounter because you never know what pain someone may be dealing with or what traumas they may be going through. I try to be a memorable, empathetic light because Lord knows, we need more of those in the world.