I’m turning 19 years old on January 19th. So predictably, growing up, my favorite number has always been 19. It just always had that ring to it. Maybe because it was prime or just an odd number, but it felt so unique to me. And more importantly, uniquely mine.
So imagine my surprise when I got older and found out that 19th birthdays are actually not that celebrated. There aren’t many Hallmark birthday cards for it, and I don’t hear any famous songs being written about being 19. Instead, 19th birthdays are met with the somber realization that our teenage years are finite. So many people go straight to “why bother?”
And I understand. 19 is an awkward age. There aren’t many additional perks that come with being 19. You’ve been legally allowed to drive for three years and have held the “adult” title for an entire year already. But, I for one am not letting my one golden birthday be spent reflecting on a time in my life that isn’t even actually over yet. Last time I checked, 19 also ended with teen, even if it may be the last one.
So, yes, I am excited about my 19th birthday, not because I’m really doing anything out of the ordinary but because I’m acknowledging that life does indeed move fast. I feel like in college, we already spend so much of every single day working toward the future. So, instead of contemplating all the future pressures of adulthood and what that entails, why not take a breather for once and actually celebrate your birthday by living in the present for a change.
After all, birthdays are supposed to be a celebration of you and your life. Don’t get me wrong; I will definitely be looking back and feeling the same nostalgia that everyone talks about. But my goal for 19 is to finish my teenage years riding high instead of dreading what’s yet to come.
So basically, the “In Your 20s” articles can wait because, at the end of the day, I’m still a teen.