The other day, I was walking around a home goods store with my best friend, and we came to the aisle with cooking utensils, pots and pans, plates, and other fancy dinnerware. Before we knew it, we were talking about how we liked one soup ladle over another, how cute the bowls were, and how the pans had a nice stainless steel finish to them.

Um, excuse me? I looked over at her and said something that kind of scared but excited me at the same time: "we’re really growing up." As I have gone through college, there have been times when I have noticed my maturity level change, and my life has required me to have a lot more independence and responsibility. That, more than any other time, was a moment of true adulthood, and I loved it. We sat at a table and talked about what it will be like one day to buy lawn furniture and have a house and families of our own. Now, do not get me wrong, these things are still very much in the far future for us as 21-year-old college students, but it is always nice to talk about the things we want one day.

But this is not where our conversations about the future begin—or end, for that matter. We always like to talk about our potential first careers, where we will move after graduation, and how different our lives may be in five, 10, or 15 years. It is a little overwhelming, but it is also very exciting. We go to high school for four years, college for four more, and then are thrown out into the big kid world. We have to discuss it with our peers and set goals for ourselves. Having a plan is great, and having a plan to not have a plan is always an option too... but it is bound to come up at one time or another.

When you get to be a senior in college, the real world becomes more tangible and enticing. You get excited to move into your first apartment not in a college town, an apartment that could be anywhere—maybe a big city. You look forward to doing something you enjoy every day that you worked hard to obtain the skills for in school. You are eager to be on your own and start the next chapter in your life. The real world is intimidating, but the possibilities of what you can achieve are endless. You can go anywhere in the world, do anything you want to do, and be whoever you want to be.