I grew up loving stories of strong women. It started with Sailor Moon, one of the quintessential 90s anime. I was under the age of five when I first started watching that show. I loved the main character, Usagi, but my favorite was Sailor Jupiter. Jupiter was a bit of a tomboy and I liked her "storm" powers. There is an old home VHS tape buried somewhere in my dad's house of four-year-old me, mimicking Sailor Moon's tiara toss and showing off my fighting stance.

My favorite Disney movie to this day is Mulan. I saw that movie in theaters at the age of six. I loved that she was a fighter who was loyal to her friends and family. She was one of the most badass Disney princesses. I also liked Jane from Tarzan, who was smart, scientific, and artistic.

I was a voracious reader and enjoyed books set in historical time periods. I would pick up non-fiction biographies about women like Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Cleopatra. I was fascinated by these strong, influential women. Even in time periods where women did not have a lot of clout, their names and legacies have endured on far beyond their lives.

Looking back, I now understand how these characters and people have had an enormous influence on who I am today.

I grew up knowing women could be strong and so much more than what society sometimes dictates. I set high expectations for myself and believed that I could achieve so much greater things. I also felt that a woman should be true to herself. Like Usagi, a woman can be a "crybaby" and still be strong. Like Mulan and Jane, a woman can be strong or smart and find a man who loves her for who she is. Like Joan of Arc, you can surpass gender roles and make a difference in your community.

In many ways, I sometimes feel like I have let my younger self down. That starry-eyed girl who just wanted to see the world has become someone who still hasn't been outside of the United States. I feel disappointment when I think about where I am right now in my life compared to what I thought I would be.

But I can't let my failures and struggles bring me down. It's easy to get bogged down in misery, but this prevents me from being successful. I am trying to keep moving forward and reaching for the things that I want out of my life. I grew up admiring strong women. It's now time for me to be one so that maybe other little girls can look at me and also know: "a woman can be whatever she wants to be."