Godspeed (n.) prosperous journey; success
As the end of my sophomore year approaches, I am faced with the task of figuring out what my future is going to look like. I used to avoid thinking about my future because I feared the possibility of not being good enough to become someone worth being. But now when I think about the possibility of who I might become, I feel excited because I know that I already am someone worth being.
I will be 20 years old in less than a week. Instead of being afraid of adulthood, I am going to take pride in the person I have become throughout my teen years and happily accept the new challenges that I will be met with in my 20s.
When I think about saying goodbye to 19, I think about those who came before me and how much their lives changed as they left their teen years behind. I think about how 19 years ago, my 19-year-old mother was pregnant with me, and we were about to meet each other for the first time.
I think about my best friends and the different paths they have chosen, the roadblocks they have hit along the way, and the perseverance they have demonstrated through it all. I think about the seniors in the SBU chapter of Her Campus and the amazing example they have set for the rest of us. I think about how grateful I am to know so many people who inspire me and give me hope for my own future.
I also think about those who will look up to me. I think about my four younger siblings who will each have their own teen experiences and how different life will be when they are not so little anymore. I think about how beautiful it will be to see them grow and watch them realize how special they are.
When I think about all these things, I feel nostalgic, grateful, and proud. I am nostalgic for the best parts of my teen years, grateful for the people that have stood with me throughout those years, and proud of who I have become in that time.
More than anything, I feel excited for what the future holds. Growing up is bittersweet, and change is almost never easy, but I am ready to see where life takes us. Although I am saying goodbye to 19, I am holding on to the people who helped me make it to 20. I wish us all Godspeed.
“The table is prepared for you
Wishing you godspeed, glory
There will be mountains you won’t move”…
“But you’ll have this place to call home, always”
“Godspeed” by Frank Ocean