Quarter Century

A few years back I remember reading an article in which middle aged men and women stated what age they'd like to stay if they could choose any year to freeze. The consensus? The average age chosen was 25. In my youthful 18 year old state I was certain that these people must have been crazy. Why would anyone want to be 25?! It was so old! Life certainly wouldn't be as much fun by then. I didn't understand, and I was convinced that I never would.

Fast forward a few years and I'm sitting here on my 25th birthday reflecting on life and how awesome it really is right now... and you know what? I get it. Today, I wouldn't want to be at any other point in my life.

Initially I was worried about the jump from 24 to 25. It's a pretty tough one to accept for anyone desperate to hang on to their youth. How did I possibly become old enough to rent a car? That had always seemed like such a distant, far off number. Now that I've reached the milestone, I'm content. After the fear subsided I took a moment to try to think of what was possibly so bad about being 25, and I struggled to find valid points.

I'm 25 years old and I've already achieved my biggest dreams and goals. Some people spend their entire lives trying to do the same. I've seen the world, I'm surrounded by amazing friends and family and when I look back at being 25 I'll be able to say "That was the year that I married my best friend!". I'm the happiest that I've been in a long time, and though I'm still hesitant about this aging thing, I know that this could be one of the best years of my life.

If nothing else, I have an awesome excuse to eat cake!

Happy Birthday to me! I'm spending it in Canada for the first time in 4 years!

Ryan and I on my 21st birthday, oblivious to the fact that 4 years later we'd be planning our wedding!