This article is being published on my 21st birthday. Your 21st is always an exciting birthday. You can finally drink, and it’s a big milestone. I’m excited about celebrating my 21st, but I’ve also done a lot of thinking about my birthday in the sense of my year and my life. So, here is a reflection of my 20th year and my life up to this point.
The biggest thing I did this year was transfer to Virginia Tech. I came to Blacksburg from my community college back home, so this was my first time really being away from my family. It was a big change. I left the safety net of my family, and while it worked out, it took some getting used to.
So much happened when I got to Tech. I joined Her Campus, made some friends, met my lovely significant other, found an internship and have taken classes that I truly love and found joy in. To say the least, it has been a whirlwind.
Since being here, I have discovered that I love Blacksburg and my life at Tech. It has been a lot better than I could have expected, despite all the 3 a.m. fire alarms in the dorms and long lines at the dining halls.
It took a lot for me to get to where I am today. Like everyone, my life has been a series of ups and downs. There was a time in my life when I didn’t think I’d get to this place, a place where I was happy more often than I was sad.
I pushed through all of that and made it to the other side. But it took a lot of work, and I didn’t do it alone. I had my family to help me get through it and now my support system has grown to be even bigger.
I’m glad I was able to find my way here and find a life that I enjoy. Year 20 was good to me in so many ways. I still have a long way to go with both myself and my life. I want to thank everyone who has helped me get to where I am and those who continue to help me every day. I can’t wait to see what 21 brings me.