New decade, new opportunities

I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact I’m turning 20 this week. 

To think another decade has passed is crazy to me; it feels like a blur. I feel like I turned 10 in fourth grade yesterday. In these last years, I’ve been through elementary, middle and high school while I’m reaching the halfway mark in my college career. 

From my personal experience, I can truly say I’ve grown in more ways than one. One of the most notable was finding my self-worth. In elementary, you could’ve told me you hated me and I would’ve cried over it for months. Now, you could insult me and I’d brush it off like no big deal. In seventh grade, I turned down a group of girls after they approached me and said I was “popular.” I looked them dead in the eyes and said “I don’t care.” 

Another lesson I’ve learned is to surround yourself with people who suppport you. The hard lesson of growing apart from people who I once used to be super close to hasn’t been easy. However, in return, I’m so lucky to have several groups of friends who stand by me, support my goals and want the best for me. 

It’s not easy to find those friends, but once you do, give your loyalty in return and truly, that’s all you need. 

The biggest and most significant change was finally finding my calling in life. In kindergarten, I thought I would become a chef after my obsession of collecting cookbooks and watching Food Network with my grandparents. 

In middle school, I thought I would become a pediatric nurse. Blood and gore make me queasy and math disgusts me, so that was a no-go. I found a love of writing stories, scripts and articles and claimed it as a major. 

There’s been a lot of ups and downs the last 10 years, but I wouldn’t change anything for a second. Looking back at all I’ve overcome makes me anticipate what’s ahead for me and I can’t wait to see how the challenges I’ll face will make me grow as a person. 

Write to Emma Johnson at emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu