Millennials get a bad reputation these days. It seems that weekly someone takes to the media to give a speech on why my generation is ruining the world. The criticism is wide. It covers how we've lost our values and tradition. There is this constant negative discussion surrounding how much our new values are changing the way the world works.

According to The Telegraph, we have simply killed everything.

From our lack of using common things like doorbells to the declining marmalade industry, we've taken the rap as the bad guys that have ruined it all. Now, we've taken it a step further and instead of traditionally following the path of college, career and marriage, we're changing things up. We're traveling more, and waiting longer to get married and have children. We prioritize luxurious trips and are renting instead of owning houses and apartments. Due to these changes, we've gained the title of immaturity and apparently lack the ability to understand responsibility.

I'm officially tired of being labeled selfish and immature because we're doing things differently than our parents did. I don't need to grow-up. You just need to change your perception that the world is moving at a linear pace.

I don't want a fancy car or a mortgage in my early 20s. I want life experiences.

We all had a good laugh when Australian-born millionaire Tim Gurner said the answer to being able to afford a house was as simple as skipping out on avocado toast and breakfast out with friends. My first qualm comes from his direct attack on my favorite brunch meal of poached eggs over smashed avocado, but more important, I find it hard to easily accept his claim that life is all about working twelve hour days every day of your life until your bank account has a consistent seven digits.

To me, that's not living.

I don't want to be in my late-twenties or early-thirties with a baby on the way thinking about that trip backpacking through Ireland that I never got to take.

I want to go skydiving. I want to hike trails throughout Switzerland, take a try at snowboarding in Austria and get lost again in the streets of Paris. I want to take a helicopter ride over a mountain in Alaska and see the Northern Lights. I want to go on a solo trip somewhere that I don't know the language. I want to try foods that are out of my comfort zone and listen to live music that isn't playing on mainstream radio stations or being ruined by Justin Bieber's remix. I don't want to stop until I've made my way through Asia and seen the Pyramids in Egypt.

That is living.

"All of the Europeans are doing it."

I'm still coming off my high from studying abroad, so I'm trying to do my best to ensure it isn't the only thing I talk about. I'm failing miserably. However, aside from the amazing things I got to do and experience while living in Australia and traveling throughout Europe for the last 13 months, it's the mentality of the people I met that I hold with me the most.

It isn't a lie when you hear about how laid back and adventurous Australian citizens are. The people I met were some of the nicest people I've come across in my life and will forever mean the world to me. More importantly, however, they are the first to encourage time off from work to travel and see the world (a much different scenario from telling your American boss that you'll be leaving the country for a two-week vacation that is anything but your honeymoon).

Nope. It seems that Australians and Europeans encourage a holiday-based lifestyle because they understand that you've been put on this Earth to LIVE.

Most people question why I can't just accept that I had a great time and stop there. How dare I dream of going back and seeing even more than I have. I mean, to them, I got my fix of the travel bug for over a year. Isn't it a bit selfish that I want to do it all over again?

I don't think so.

Just because I prioritize travel and life experiences doesn't mean I don't have a killer work ethic.

I'm not out here to take down the nine-to-fivers of the world or the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. I am that person. Throughout my high school and college career, I've worked numerous hospitality jobs, sometimes holding down three at a time. I drive a 2002 Honda CRV with nearly 200,000 miles on the odometer. I'm lucky enough that I have parents to call when I'm in a bind for gas money or next month's rent. I know how to say no to a Sunday breakfast out with friends if I get called into work, or a Saturday night out at the bar if I truly cannot afford it.

I'm not ashamed of any of this because I can see the big picture. I've lived like this for years, worked hard for the grades I have, applied for every scholarship I could think of and still had to take out loans to study abroad. I came back June 2017 with $13.57 in my bank account and a growling stomach that couldn't wait to be reunited with my parents' fully stocked fridge.

So when it comes to working a job serving coffee or bussing tables at a local restaurant, I don't feel sorry for myself or feel lesser than anyone else. It's valid work and allows me to live the life I want to.

If I could take it all back, trade in my time abroad for a newer car, a closet update and a more solid savings account as I enter the post-college real world... I wouldn't.

I'm a bit fortunate that my strongest skills landed me in a career path that could eventually lead for me to travel more in the future, but in no way am I condemning those who excel at jobs that keep them stationary. I could NEVER be an engineer or a doctor. The lowest grade I made in my college career was in accounting, and I think the only reason I ever did well in history courses was because each textbook is like reading a detailed "Game of Thrones" episode.

I'm best suited for a job that involves writing and getting to know people and issues, not for one that requires my mind to be a fully equipped calculator or even one that involves putting my life on the line daily (shoutout to the military and armed forces across the globe). I've accepted that and plan to utilize that to see as much of the world as I can.

Yes, I want to move back to Australia as soon as I graduate and no, I'm not thinking about "what will happen if I meet a guy abroad or before I leave."

It seems that the first comment I receive about my decision to move out of the country has to do with how a boy will affect it. Funny, because this seems to be the last of my concerns. For the record, I'm single as a Pringle, and if that changes, I'm still moving to Australia. I'm not putting my life on hold for a guy, and this isn't about a feminist agenda, either. I'm just not ready to sacrifice my dreams yet, and if the right guy comes along that has a similar path, I guess it will work itself out that way.

As it stands, my soulmates are my two best friends, and so far they are pretty alright with me living out my dream. In fact, neither of them are worried about how it will affect our relationship long-term (Plus, it gives them a place to come visit).

So please, stop trying to convince me to change my mind with how a romantic relationship will affect it, because I genuinely cannot be bothered to care about that.

Are you even thinking about your family?

If there is one reason that comes to mind and holds me back each time I get excited about moving back to Sydney or learning French and moving to Paris; it's the fact that I'll be saying goodbye to my family and friends for another long period of time as I take on the adventure.

Of course, I think about how I won't be there for my sister's first day of elementary school or may not be able to call my mom to ask her for help with choosing a laundry detergent because of the time change. Sure, I had Skype and FaceTime to stay in contact with my little sister for the year that I was already gone and that made it a lot easier for her to remember me when I came back, but that wasn't the same as physically being there for her.

I think for me I have a sort of advantage to this situation seeing that I already spent most of my childhood living away from my family due to my stepdad being in the military. Sure, the situation wasn't ideal and I missed my Dad and family constantly, but this was also a time where technology developments made it easier to stay in contact with my family. I never missed a monumental moment in their lives and they never missed mine. My dad got to live stream my senior year state final for soccer all the way from Pennsylvania and my mom and I Facetimed as I walked the streets of Paris earlier this year.

It's not easy, but it is doable.

What if you spend too much time focusing on your career and wait too long to get married?

Calling out my own mother on this one. My parents have fully wrapped their heads around the idea that I'll be leaving to live abroad from some time at the end of my college career. Together we've worked as a team to figure out the best way to go about selling all of my things. My mom is finally getting around to getting passport so that she can come along for the beginning of my journey, and help me move into my new flat with my best friend.

However, she'll randomly stop and ask me "what if" questions that are generally her mother-like fears of things she doesn't want me to miss out on. I just have to remind her that someday she'll have the grandchildren she wants, I'm just going to take a quick detour first.

Maybe I don't have a savings account at a six-figure dollar amount in my early 20s, but I did just book a trip to Thailand that's completely paid for and packed with activities.

I'm about ten thousand dollars in debt from student loans. Ten thousand dollars that essentially aided in me studying abroad and seeing the world. Ten thousand dollars verse the hundreds of thousands others face to go to their dream school in the States, while I got to spend $10,000 to go to two dream schools on other continents.

I'd rather be in a never ending cycle of working hard for 11 months straight to reward myself with a long vacation in a new country than only anticipate to travel once every three years for a special occasion. I don't want the next time I leave the States to be seven years from now for a friend's destination wedding or my own honeymoon (see mom, I do plan on getting married someday, you can calm down now).

My five year plan doesn't include finding a house or going to graduate school. I'm not really sure what it entails, however, I know that my next step in life involves moving to Australia, or just a new city in general. I know that I would love an internship writing or in the fashion industry, and if I land one that's unpaid I'll take on as many side jobs as it takes to plan a trip to Bali or Ireland.

I'm not ready to accept that being an adult means settling down for the next seven years until I can "figure it out." I'm prepared to figure it out my own way, on my own terms, and honestly, you can too.