23

Well, today, I turn old.

Or, 23.

Don't be mad at me if you are older than 23 and think that I am being ridiculous.

I have Peter Pan Syndrome and cannot be blamed for my irrational conceptions of the passage of time.

If it makes you feel better, I turned old at 19, too.

I must say that so far, I don't feel any different.

I don't feel as if an era has come and gone.

You see, when I turned 22, I was sad and yet relieved.

22 was a big year for me.

I was sad because 21 had been such a great year that I wasn't at all ready or prepared for it to end.
Technically, I was still 21 when I graduated from college (May 9). See, 21 was just FAB.

I was relieved because to tell people that I was getting married at 22 seemed to agree with them better than if I had been 21.

Things that I am NOT going to do in this 23rd year of life:

1. Apologize for my age. I am younger than everyone at work by a good 4-5 years. They are always looking at me, dripping with nostalgia, saying things like, "Gosh, if I had had at your age what you have, blah blah blah." Or, "You're only 22! You have everything ahead of you." Or, "What I wouldn't give to be your age again." Or, "You are so young." Well, SOR-RY! Its not my fault!

2. NOT strive for maturity. I feel that I lost a little bit of myself these past couple of months of being in the Real World. I was so driven and focused on being serious and being taken seriously that I would come home exhausted with no energy. I didn't feel like a young, carefree 22 year old. I turned into a perfectionist freak who could not slow down or say no or just breath. When I yelled at a coworker who began to cry over work stress, I knew that I had gone too far. Apparently, maturity for me equals zero compassion.

3. I am not going to worry about money or about whether or not I am doing enough for my future. I am just going to live. And, I'm going to love Hubs. A lot. Because in the end, that is what matters the most.

4. I am not going to rush through anything. What's the point? It makes for a crappy result that will have to be redone anyways. Why not get it done right the first go round?

5. I will not fret or worry about getting older. I will just enjoy the passage of time and the fact that it ultimately is the only thing that gets you from Point A to Point B.

And now, I will shower, go to work for a few hours and then shop and drink my way across this city with bestie, Hannah. Can't wait!