I wanted to write for Odyssey because I had seen all of those viral articles, and they touched me just like they did the thousands of others, too. I wanted to do that, and be a part of something that had the potential to reach out to so many people.

The reality of being an Odyssey writer is this: Not every single post that you write will go viral, and not everyone will agree with your words. Not all of your articles will go as far as to reach thousands of people, but they all have the potential to. That's what makes it so worth-while.

Odyssey has given me endless opportunities, and has changed my life more in the past nine months than I ever thought anything could.

I found my voice. I found my passion. I found my purpose.

Which to me is pretty great because I'm only 18 years old, and not many of us can say that yet.

Odyssey has become my personal outlet. Whatever I feel, I can write about — I can write about popular stories but add my opinions and thoughts with it. I have gained confidence and higher levels of understanding. I know that not everyone will agree with my thoughts, or even like them, but I still have the confidence in myself — and my words — to put them out there anyways, despite other opinions.

Odyssey has made me a dreamer and a creator. I know that not everything I create will be top-notch, but I will never stop.

I have learned from Odyssey. I learned to express myself in new ways, and I learned just how powerful and mesmerizing words can be.

I have learned to appreciate good writing, and even bad. Because although not every single article published through Odyssey is written by a future novelist, the author is still fearlessly creating. Which is something I think we all should learn how to do.

I may be an amateur writer now, but I have the confidence in myself to know that eventually, I will be so much more than that. So, when that day comes, I have Odyssey to thank for it.

I will never stop writing Open Letters, Listicles or even News Articles. I will never stop sharing my stories, thoughts or words. I will continue to learn, grow, and share my art with the world because once you find your passion, the spark will never go away.