23

Apparently it's a day for coming clean on the blog. Here's another post that's been on the shelf for months - written in April(!). Maybe it's not what I intended it to be, but I still feel that this year has been a gift in so many ways and it's important for me to share that. Here's to moving forward! 

~*~*~

I'm not sure when it started, but at some point I started looking forward to being 23 years old, believing that on some level I would have life somewhat figured out at that point, old enough to be mature while still being young enough to be excited about the future...

Not sure any of that is true. I know I certainly don't have my life figured out now! 

Last year I thought I would, though. A lot has changed in the last few months, and I've discovered that being 23 isn't so much about having everything figured out as it is allowing myself to figure things out. 

For example: Last year I was graduating college, planning a wedding, and starting my first "real job" as an adult - it seemed like my life was heading in a certain direction and I thought I was okay with that. Now? Well, still working at that real job, but now I'm navigating life as a single adult who no longer has any specific direction in life - and I'm definitely okay with it! 

No, I was not okay with it at first - it's taken a lot to process and wrap my mind around some of these changes. However, I'm realizing that 23 - the year I thought would be so amazing because all my "dreams were coming true" - is turning into an amazing year for completely different reasons: I'm discovering more and more about myself. 

I'm learning what activities I enjoy, I'm learning about my personality, I'm learning about my beliefs. The list goes on, but having this time to really delve into what interests me, without worrying about what anyone else might think, is a truly valuable opportunity to become the version of myself I hope to develop throughout my lifetime. 

It's exciting and unexpected.