People don't usually consider 24 a particularly noteworthy year. Think about it: when you turn 24, you can already drive, vote, enlist, drink, you've graduated from college if you went, you probably already started grad school if you're going. Maybe you get married or something. There's no hard and fast milestone that makes people say, "Wow, 24 is coming up! You must be so excited!!!!" It's just another candle on the cake, another trip around the sun.
Why am I hating on 24 so much? Simple: I'm not. Age 24 was anything but boring for me. I've put myself through a lot of crazy and wonderful shifts in my life, but 24 seemed to win the lottery for cramming as many as possible in 1 year. Plus, I'm turning 25 tomorrow, so I'm feeling introspective. Deal with it or quit reading.
When I had only 5 days left in 23, my dad got into the driver's seat of my sister's van which was packed to maximum capacity with all of my possessions save one overnight bag. I got into the driver's seat of my Subaru along with my mom, sister, 18 month old nephew, and our overnight bags. Thus began the 18 hour drive to Syracuse as well as my "grown up" life.
I know at first glance 24 isn't particularly exceptional. But it was pretty monumental for me. I moved into my first apartment, started my first real (aka salaried) job, fulfilled my dream of vising Nevers, France, made enough money to pay taxes, got my first adult crown (dental, not tiara), got a niece, become one of those people who brush 8 inches of snow off their car while being pummeled by more snow. Reunions that were 2 years in the making happened thanks to the second wave of friends getting married. My appreciation for home and family has grown exponentially, and my definition of both has been broadened. I've spent a lot of time with myself which is scary because the more we know ourselves, the harder it is to ignore our imperfections. But squaring up with our mess is Step 1 to growing, improving, becoming someone we're proud to be. You know, the person that our 16 year old self would be proud of. You know what I'm talking about. When you're 16, you have an idea, an aspiration of who you want to be...even if it is slightly delusional (hey, we were all some kind of delusional at 16). It's all the qualities and dimensions of our person that we actually wanted to be once the superficial was shaken away.
I started learning Spanish at 24. I have my own apartment, "my" Wegmans, a year's experience of this chaotic, exhausting, kick-ass job under my belt. I have conquered some of my biggest fears (vulnerability, spiders, etc.) and discovered new ones that I'm ready to face head on. I have my life. And God in heaven knows better than anyone that it is far from perfect. As "old" as 24 is, it certainly had its growing pains, believe you me. But as Chapter 24 is coming to a close, I am grateful. And genuinely happy. And not because of everything that happened in the past year. Frankly, a lot of it sucked. But I know it moved the plot forward. It feels like I'm finally getting my sea legs for life. There's still some stumbling around ahead of me, no doubt about it. I'm going into 25 with confidence though. If I can handle everything that came at me in 24, then bring on 25. I'm ready.
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