I CAN "ADULT" NOW!

     On July 7th, 1998, a national treasure was born...just kidding, it was just me.  Just little baby girl me with tufts of blonde hair and chunky little thighs, apparently the exact replica of the Gerber Baby. Or at least that's what I've been told.

     As a child, my birthday was always something to look forward to because, you know, there were presents and cake.  As I got older, I still looked forward to it but I also felt uneasy.  I began to identify myself as and was proud to be "the girl who looked older than she was because of her height".  I feared that I'd lose this "identity" if my age number kept going up and I stopped growing.  Even older yet, I began to cry in my room on my birthday when I thought no one could hear me because I felt dissatisfied with what I had accomplished the year before and that time was simply moving too fast.  But on this last July 7th, I woke up that morning feeling completely different, almost renewed.  I was eighteen.  

I am 18.

Here's what's blissful about 18:

     When you wake up and realize you're 18, you wake up to realize that despite the fact that as a young girl you pictured yourself at 18 as being a popular, confident, decent sized boob kind of gal, you're not her.  You're you.  The greatest thing about it is that now you finally can accept that.  In my first morning of "adulthood", I just laughed and smiled with my head on my pillow while staring at the ceiling and for the first time accepted that I have itty bitty titties, stick legs, no butt, and nothing-special brown hair.  It 'twas a beautiful feeling.  Honest.  

     I'm not popular either and I realized that that too was who I am.  I couldn't handle popularity anyways.  It's hard enough for me to be on time to anything, not get bored of anything, and let alone respond to one text message.  It'd simply be too much work for me to handle.  And that's okay.  

     Sure, I'm not as confident as I thought I'd be going into adulthood but that's okay too.  Everything is okay because I now believe that I am okay.  I don't have my dream figure, boys falling at my feet, money coming out of my ears, and success in everything that I do, but, once again, that's okay.  It's a beautiful feeling.  Honest.

     Eighteen is still a wee bit intimidating of course.  Just the other day, I was shopping at Marshalls and the cashier asked if I wanted to open up a credit card with them.  Yikes because for the first time, I legally could say yes to her question...and I did but I ended up signing something wrong so I have go back in and get a new card...typical.  :)))

Setting all sarcasm aside, my favorite part of being 18 are the two one liners from my parents,  "Just because you're an adult, doesn't mean you can do that."  "You're an adult now, Sarah, start acting like one."

Just kidding!  That was definitely sarcasm!

I'm curious, how did you feel about turning 18 and if you're not 18, what are you expecting?

Dream big, Darlings!

Bahamas || Royal Caribbean Cruisin'

      Some people believe that if you focus on a dream, fully believe in that dream, and picture yourself living that dream on a regular basis, it will miraculously fall into place and present itself to you in reality.

     A few years ago at a Girl Scout meeting, four of my friends and I were gathered in a circle around our troop leader.  She asked us if we'd prefer to spend the Girl Scout money we'd make in the years til graduation on small things or save it all up for one big thing.  "What kind of big thing?"  "How about a cruise?"  The question was followed by five enthusiastic yes's.  And a few years later the first week of July 2016 finally came around!

Day One:

Drove from Ohio to Detroit,  Michigan and caught a flight to Miami, Florida.

//via\\

Day Two:

Woke up in our hotel to a gorgeous, humid, and overcast Miami day, boarded the ship, and continuously convinced myself that I was in reality and not a dream! 

Day Three:

Cococay, Bahamas; swimming; laughing; living; parasailing; late night dancing; and more self convincing that I was awake and not sleeping.

//via\\

Day Four:

Nassau, Bahamas; sightseeing; sweating; shopping; smiling; infinite bliss; and turning the boy a floor below into less of stranger.

//via\\

Bucket List... Go on a cruise.

a step into the Titanic movie or Gatsby's place on water.

captivated by the endless possibilities 

and believing that it's not all just a dream.

there are no limitations to the clothes you can wear, 

the foods you can eat, 

or what you can or cannot experience.

it's luxury, elegance, and class.

it's a fairy tale on sea 

it's the dreamy sensation of freedom that you didn't know could actually exist.

it's so much bliss that you never want to sleep.

swim more, eat more, dance more, 

and on and on and on.

i don't want to go home.

don't make me go home.

this is too good to ever go home...

Dream big, Darlings!