It's my birthday!

Ok, here's my obligatory birthday post, I wanted to do it tonight since I'm busy tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my 18th birthday, quite the milestone. I'll be an adult: I can vote, smoke, go to college, get arrested, all that good stuff. But really, its just a new starting line, a checkpoint if you will. Being an adult is what I've been training for my entire life up until this point, but its really just the beginning of what my life will look like.

Looking back, I've really grown a lot in these past 3 or 4 years. The places I've gone, the friends I've been blessed with, and the ways I've spent my time have all influenced me and made me into the person I am now. And honestly, there's very little I would change. There's so much I have to be thankful for, and God has blessed me in so many ways.

Of those numerous blessings, I am absolutely most thankful for my friends and my family. I'm so blessed to have people I can talk to when I'm sad or worried, people that I can feel at home with, people that I can share a meal with, and people that I can text when I'm lonely. My friends and my social life have helped me to expand my horizons and step out of the introverted boundaries I had set for myself those few years ago.

And I am so, so thankful for my parents. Every step of the way they have loved me and supported me in everything I do. In my hobbies, my career options, the choices I've made, they've always been supportive. Not once did I hear, "No, you shouldn't be a psychologist, or a counselor, or a nurse". They never said, "You should do something besides write, or compose music, or play video games". And when they did forbid me something, I always knew there was wisdom behind their decision and I respected it. I still respect their wisdom, and I always will.

So in sum, I have more things to be thankful for than I could count in a day. And I'm incredibly grateful for my friends and for my family. Every one of you has had an effect on my life, and there's nobody I consider a friend who I don't cherish. So thank you all for helping me become the person I am today. Here's to being 18!