Turning 23

I celebrated my 23rd birthday on November 17th. I love having a birthday right around the corner from Thanksgiving. There’s a nip in the air and most people have begun putting up Christmas lights for the holiday season. But most of all, November is a time of reflection and gratitude. My favorite part about my birthday is reflecting on the past year. Tess McCarthy, a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill and good friend of mine, always asks people their “birthday questions” on their birthday. I thought I’d share my answers here. 

What Is Something You Accomplished in the Past Year (at 22)?

When I turned 22 I had no idea where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do, and who I wanted to be. It was the fall of my senior year in college and I felt extremely far behind my peers. Little did I know that 22 would be a great year for my professional and personal life. Here are some of my yearly highlights:

• Graduated from Florida State University with my bachelor’s degree

• Traveled to Ireland and the U.K.

• Moved to North Carolina

• Started graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill

• Entered a serious relationship (shoutout Brenden!!)

• Started my own blog - a creative outlet that I’ve always wanted to do

  
  

My last night as a 22 year-old!

What Is Something You Hope To Accomplish Within the Next Year (during 23)?

There are obviously a lot of unknown variables when starting a new chapter in life, but this time I have enough confidence in myself to know that everything is going to work itself out. I am a hardworking individual and I know I am in control of my own destiny. Here are some of the things I hope to accomplish while I’m 23:

• Graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with my master’s degree

• Get a job that I am passionate about 

• Live in a fun city

• Travel somewhere new

• Run a 5K

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b14716_e9b72424a1f64aab91a869b0f3bf526d/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Making a wish!

A Feeling of Thankfulness

Reflecting on past, present, and future life events leaves me with one strong feeling: thankfulness. I am thankful to have such amazing friends and family who took time out of their day to wish me a happy birthday. I am thankful to be in a happy and healthy relationship. I am thankful for the opportunity to pursue higher education, especially at my age. I am thankful for how smooth my out-of-state move went and how easy it was for me to build a community for myself in North Carolina. I am thankful for the opportunities that come my way.

With every year that goes by I am becoming more and more happy with the person I’m growing into. When I think of my birthday now, I think of how grateful I am for my current phase of life. I am officially 23 years old, and I can’t wait for what this year has in store!