"That Age"

I will be turning twenty-three tomorrow and it kinda feels weird saying that number.  It feels like it was just last week that I turned twenty-two, but then again it feels that way every time my birthday rolls around. I guess it goes to show how fast life actually moves, so we shouldn't waste any of that precious time.

I think I will call twenty-two "That Age." For me it has been "That Age" of learning, growing, and just experiencing all that life throws at you. Anyone can say those experiences can and will happen all throughout your life but for me, these experiences were different. They scared me and made me doubt myself. I cried, I got angry, I was confused, and I sometimes wished there was a rewind or a start over button every time I made a mistake. Man, becoming an adult is a little hard and scary I gotta admit, but I can absolutely say there was a lot of good that happened. I accomplished goals, made changes, and grew that much closer to God.

I grew into myself and learned more about me. I said "no" more to the things that I didn't feel like doing, I made sure to put myself and how I was feeling first rather than trying to please people. It's okay to be selfish because I have no one I need to prove myself to but myself, and being honest with myself has helped me in ways that I couldn't imagine. I felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulder - a freeing experience, you can call it.  I also let certain friends "be". I realized that we are all on a journey of growth and sometimes in order to find ourselves we lose touch and that's okay. If God sees fit, He will make sure you reconnect with that person somehow. There is no need for trying to make friendships feel real just to give you that satisfying feeling. You know when something is real and believe me, those friendships not only feel so much better but they are way more satisfying and beneficial. This lesson helped me learn another important lesson called acceptance. Some people and even situations are not meant for us to change and no matter how we feel, it is sometimes best to leave them alone. I  realized that it's okay to not have it all together. I allowed myself to accept that God has my life planned and he will direct me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just sitting here swinging my feet back and forth waiting. All I'm saying is when I feel stuck or stressed, I remind myself that what is for me is mine and things will go the way they are supposed to, according to His plan.

Being in a relationship also changed me a lot! I'm not going to lie, there were a lot of ups and downs, and tears. Let's face it, two people in their early twenties, growing into themselves as well as learning how to be in a "real relationship" will always equal issues. All those issues did help me grow when I look back on it. I got told about myself (which no one likes to hear but sometimes we need to), I was encouraged and pushed to do more, which resulted in this blog :)

A lot of good and not-so-great things are attached to twenty-two but all of these things shaped me and has honestly made me excited to enter this new stage of my life. I know there will be more challenging experiences ahead, but I also know that I will get through them. There will also be a lot of exciting experiences as well and I can't wait!

In a few months I will be graduating college and I will also be experiencing for the first time what it feels like to be in a long distance relationship, so let's see how that goes! Be sure to look out for a post when the time comes :)

With all that said, I just want to thank God for seeing it fit that I live to see my twenty-third birthday. I'm grateful for all He has done for me, all the people He has blessed me with and placed in my path to help guide me through this complicated, yet rewarding journey called life.

Btw I got this super cute dress at Marshalls for $26. Don't sleep on them! These boots are from dsw, but are sold out so you can see a similar one (here)

xoxo

- Kristie