Chapter 14: The Older You Get, The Faster Time Goes By
Cold. Way too cold. This school year started being way too warm, it felt like winter would never come. Now, 8 months later, in mid-April, it’s still freezing cold and it feels like summer will never come. I’m walking up McTavish, wearing my winter coat, my scarf and my gloves, and I’m mad at myself for taking for granted the warmth of last September. I would do anything to go back in time, even if it means re-doing my first year of University over again. Wow! One year as past! And I still can’t walk up McTavish without being out of breath!
This year was a funny one. People say University is hard, but it didn’t feel so hard to me. I woke up every morning, happy with the choices I made: choosing McGill, choosing education, choosing to move out. I still don’t feel like an adult, even if I’m getting better at it! I buy my own groceries and I stick to my budget. I don’t ruin any of my clothes when I use the washing machine. I cook, I clean, I pay my bills! I fix things in my apartment when they break, I call for all my appointments, I even found a job, and a really good one for that matter. My physical health even if I don’t go to the gym (thank you McTavish!). I feel like I’m rocking this adult thing, yet I still have no clue what I’m doing. But, do any of us really know what we are doing? Or are we all just pretending? I understand why people say your years in University are some of the best ones of your life. Your early twenties are a strange time: you finally start to figure out what you want in life, you feel old enough to stand up for yourself and for what you believe in. You also realize that friendship, true friendship, is a rarity, so you choose your friends carefully and stop stressing over the people that don’t really matter to you. You don’t need to impress anyone anymore, you don’t need to pretend your someone you are not. Because there’s always going to be a bunch of people, weirdos like you, who will love you for exactly who you are! Yes, being in university during your twenties is a funny time, and I can already feel my older self feeling nostalgic for this time that I’m living right now.
***
I blow out my birthday candles. Sam made a very big cake and made sure to put 21 candles on it! All my friends start clapping when I blow out the last candle. And of course, there’s always that one person that says “you can now legally drink in the States!”…like anyone cares about that. My girlfriend is looking at me with stars in her eyes; I think she’s enjoying my birthday more than me. She planned this big party and invited all my friends, she bought me a mountain of gifts, even if I don’t really need anything. She’s just the best! Everyone jumps on the cake for a piece the second I pick up the knife, they are like little kids, all of them! We are all in Sam’s apartment, some people are playing video games in the living room, others are trying to get Finley high on catnip, there’s a game of Stack The Cup going on in the kitchen, and the music is so loud I can feel it inside my bones. Sam leans in towards me.
-Are you having fun? She asks.
-Of course! This is great!
-I still have one more gift for you!
-Again!? You already gave me enough! You gave me more gifts than my own mother!
She takes my hand and pulls me toward the entrance, where it’s a little quieter. She just stands in front of me for a moment, looking at me.
-You know, I’m really glad you decided to go to that coffee shop that day in September, she says.
-I’m really glad I did that too, it was a good move, I would high-five myself for that if high-fiving yourself wasn’t so lame!
She laughs, and like always her laugh makes my heart jump.
-So what’s this last present you have for me? I ask.
-I thought you were sick of presents, she says with a little sarcastic smile.
I roll my eyes at her and she leans in to kiss me. While she kisses me, her hand reaches for mine and she presses something cold and metallic inside my palm. I pull away to look at what it is.
–It’s a key? I say, confused.
-It’s your key, she says, to your new apartment. Well, if you want to, of course.
-You…You want me to move in? I ask, unsure if I’m understanding correctly.
-Yes! You and Finley, of course.
-I mean, he pretty much already lives here, it would be mean to move him again!
She smiles.
-So, is that a yes?
-Of course it’s a yes! I would love to live with you!
-Good!
She kisses me again, her hands around my waist, pulling me closer. We rejoin the party and I get kidnap by a few of my friends who want to play Never Have I Ever. Sam, who hates this game, is avoiding the general area where people are playing so no one asks her questions and instead is eating cake with the people who are trying to drug my cat. Finley doesn’t seem to care about the catnip and only wants to run away to a quiet place; under the bed probably! Tomorrow is the last day of the semester, which will mark the last day of my first year at McGill. Only 3 more and I graduate! I have a lot of things to look forward to, and a lot more new experiences coming my way. I look at Sam and all if feel is joy and love. Someday, I will marry this girl! But for now, I’m just going to enjoy the moment. I know it’s a cliché but you’re only 21 once, so I’ll make sure to make it count.
See you next year McGill, when I’ll be a little older but probably not wiser. I don’t think I need a class on adulating anymore, I’ll figure it out as I go!
Images obtained from:
http://www.cjnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mcgill.jpg
https://ak1.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/17047981/thumb/1.jpg?i10c=img….(height:160)
https://pics.me.me/its-spring-spring-nope-19392416.png
http://mycitygossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cooking-dog.jpg