It's that defining moment, where the stress of being a struggling twenty-something-year-old turns into comfort. It's like seeing the light for the first time. Relaxed. Care-free. And a clear mind. Now, that could very well be attributed to my extremely low blood pressure at work today. It seems as if I blacked out for several moments here and there -- think Will Ferrell in "Old School" during the debate. Needless to say, everything turned out just fine; it's nothing that a five-hour nap, plus an Eggo waffle with Nutella couldn't fix.
As I approach my quarter-of-a-century birthday next month, I'd like to think I'm not the only 24-year-old wandering down a path with no clear direction in sight. Yet, for the first time, I know who I want next to me. That might be most frightening for a free-spirited girl with a dream to see the world.
It's the little things that inspire us, and those things we should embrace: meeting a stranger who helped you find not one, but three pairs of shoes at Macy's; reading a life-altering article in Time magazine, or that old library book you just can't put down; it's feeling the sunlight for the first time since winter started; picking up the phone to call an old friend, or just tell a loved one you're thinking about them; finally, it's capturing the gaze of a sweet Arkansan in a new town, and opening your heart to love -- thanks to a college graduate, eager for change, and hungry for happiness.
