“So, what are you going to do with your life?”

“I plan on attending the University of North Texas in the fall to study Speech Pathology.”

I have heard this question hundreds of times since the beginning of this school year. I never knew after a measly 18 years of life that I would need to know what I want to do with the next 70. Some adults forget that teenagers are still growing up and what we want is going to change. Our brains haven’t even fully developed yet, so how are we supposed to know what we want and who we will be for the rest of our lives?

There seems to be two distinct stages of life: childhood and adulthood. Right now, I am caught in between. When I was a child, I couldn’t wait to grow up. Now that I’m growing up, I want to go back to simpler times.

My entire senior year has been confusing. I want to be independent, yet I still need to know my parents will be there if I crash and burn. I want to be self-sufficient, but I can hardly get my laundry done half the time. I can’t wait to leave and begin a new adventure, while I’m scared to death of being in a place I’m not familiar with.

The fact is that there are so many things that will change, so many things that will never be the same. We are undergoing a complete metamorphosis. We are allowed to be confused. We are allowed to make mistakes (no matter what they say).

“So, what are you going to do with your life?”

“Have fun. Read books. Swim. Laugh. Eat good food. Travel. Fall in love. Be happy.”