Where did the time go? I find myself asking this question more and more each day. Now that a new school year is starting up, the harsh realization that I am already a junior in college scares me – a lot.
Being a junior means I only have two more years left until I am thrust not-so-graciously into the real world. It means I have two more years left until people start questioning why I still live with my parents. It also means that the dreaded repayment of student loans is that much closer.
I was at work the other day and among our playful banter, one of my co-workers announced that she was pregnant. Of course we were all extremely happy for her, but I couldn’t help but think that she was pretty young to have a baby (which, she’s not; she’s 24.)
I have a love-hate relationship with children, so I was comfortable knowing that children are definitely not in the near future for me.
“I still have about 10 years before I’m having children,” I thought. Then I did the math. In 10 years, I will be almost 30. I planned on having at least one child before the age of 30. Suddenly, 10 years turned into five years and I thought to myself, “Where does the time go?”
My mother and I are only 21 years apart in age, so she had me when she was pretty young. That would be like me, right now, getting married and having a baby. For some people, getting married and starting a family is the next step for them.
That was the world even just 20 years ago. People started families young and nobody gave it a second thought. This day and age, getting married and starting a family in your early 20s is uncommon, if not looked down upon.
It seemed like it was just yesterday that I was a sophomore in high school, obsessing over my latest celebrity crush, worrying about my appearance and not having a single care in the world about where my life was going because that was too far into the future to worry about.
Now, I am living my future. I am creating the world that I will live in for the rest of my life and if you’re like me, that is a scary thought to tinker with.
Even though I am on my way to becoming a twentysomething, I know that I don’t want to get married or start a family anytime soon. I want to enjoy my freedom after college. I want to travel the world and see magnificent things. I want to find myself before I commit myself to a life that I will one day love and desire.
I used to long for my future to just get here and happen already. My future is now. My future is happening. And I am beyond excited to start living it.
SAMANTHA GRISWOLD
