“And there are people who forget what it’s like to be sixteen when they turn seventeen. I know these will all be stories some day, and our pictures will become old photographs.”

A week ago, I pinkie promised Nick that I would not throw him a surprise party for our birthday. So what did I do? I supplied everything his floor needed so they could then throw him a surprise party. Because you only turn 19 once in a college dorm full of people who care about you— why not have some fun with it? This is our last year of being adults, but not quite treated as such.

I’m told we are supposed to cherish this timely opportunity. Therefore, I believe that a surprise party was very necessary.

There’s something about knowing that this is my last year of being a teenager that holds a certain importance. Like they say, I have to cross all my t’s and dot the i’s before I get to a point where there is no turning back. Apparently, 20 just might be that point.

There are bucket lists to complete, people to go on road trips with, and adventures to have before my adulthood it too official. I have a habit of complaining to my parents about adulting, but I can’t imagine truly being looked at as an adult. As Ellis Grey says, “It sucks being a grown up, but the carousel never stops turning.”

Life never stops moving.

Sometimes I feel like a lot of us forget that we need to live for the present; not just plan for the future and work for where we want to be, but put ourselves into the reality it has become too easy to ignore. High school, college, adulthood, etc… No matter where we are at in our lives, there will always be things to plan for and future possibilities to pay attention to.

What happens when we neglect the possibility the moments hold have?

I think that’s when we forget to live. But tell me something: do you think it’s possible to live too hard? If not, I’m not so sure why so many of us forget to do so. There’s a reason the phase “life happens when you’re busy making other plans” is a cliche… Because it’s true.While we plan for everything everything else life tends to pass us by. Do you remember the last time you did something spontaneous?

On Wednesday, I decided to make cupcakes for fun. Then I ate half of them. But when was the last time you went out for ice cream, or took a road trip, or stayed up all night watching those 2 AM reruns of the Fresh Prince just becuase you could? That’s all a part of living. And on my 19th birthday, I was reminded of how many people I have in this world connected to my life who are all out there doing something. From college finals and moving home, to planning trips and moving on, there really is no time like the present.

Make it worth something.

In his quote from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky’s monologue at the end of the book reminded me of how fleeting these moments can be. Many people will forget what it’s like to be sixteen when they turn seventeen, our lives really will be nothing more than stories later on… Those stories might get told through old photographs and all the people who stick around in our lives, but right now all there is to talk about is the reality. So enough talking, we need more action. Because right now, right now I can sit here and remember what it’s like to be eighteen when I turned nineteen.

I remember it like it was yesterday.