20 years young

I turned 20, as of 12 a.m. today (technically, my birthday is at 1:41 in the afternoon) However, I feel like I must confess: I have kind-of been dreading this day. When a Professor explained to a group of freshmen last year that the "sun was setting our our teenage years," I got a bit sad.
Nostalgic, really.
Being 20 just didn't sound as appealing as 13, 16 and 18 had...Sooo, I was in a bit of a predicament. After some thought and brainstorming the past couple of weeks, I have prepared myself for this day, and successfully found a way to realize that "growing up" isn't so hard to do.
Actually it's great. It's greater than great. Even when my grandpa says: "You're 1/4th of the way done." ...
I Just think of it this way:

20 Successful years down. 20 to go.
Your Accomplishments Along the Way:
-Learning to speak the English Language.
-Learning to walk.
-Learned how to read, write, add, subtract...
-Learned how to ride a bicycle.
-Scored the role of Mrs. Washington in the Second Grade
Founding Fathers Play!
(big deal for me at the time)
-Learned how to drive a stick....this was a long and painful journey
at the age of 16 in a WalMart parking lot.
-Got stitches. Twice. Survived: Bee-stings, cuts, and bruises too.
-Also Survived: Elementary school play grounds, junior high hallways,
and high school drama.
-Completed 2 years of College.
-Got my heart broken, 1, 2, 3 or 4 times.
-Learned an infinite amount of lessons along the way.
-I live on my own, I've made the best of friends,
 I've come to appreciate even more how amazing my family is...
and honestly, I couldn't be any happier.

In the next 20 years, I see myself:
-Graduating college, getting a Masters.
-Finding out what I really want to do, then doing it.
-3 words: Boston, Boston, Boston...Here I come, Boston!
-Marriage.
-Kids: 5-7.
-A Home of "our" own: Anywhere life takes us, I'd be happy.
-Remaining friends with the closest friends I have today.
-Getting some Traveling done. New Zealand, Australia, Europe will have been completed.
-My 7Up Girl Series: finished!
-Being as happy to turn 40 as I was to turn 20.
Even with the gray hairs and wrinkles. Eek!


You know, it's a funny thing. "Birthdays" aren't as big of a deal as they were when I was little; but when you get to think about the years behind, and the years ahead, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing how far you've come,
and how far you get to go.
happy birthday.