17

Although I’m merely one day older, yesterday, I added an additional year to my age. I’m 17 now, a number that feels miles more grandiose than 16 for inexplicable reasons. My age falls on the upper end of high school and I’m one year from adulthood. Even though I near independence, I still sometimes feel like a twelve-year-old. It's when I see an actual 12-year old that I realize how far I’ve come. Sometimes I see middle schoolers socializing around a small table in Starbucks, sipping their drinks with their pinkies pointed towards the ceiling, a moment where I realize I’m actually 17. 17 straddles the middle ground between the middle school Starbucks refreshers and the adult parties with wine, leaving me curious about what this time really means.

What a wonder age is. It’s effortless and in a blink of an eye, I find myself more than halfway done with high school. I can’t wait to see what this year holds for me. Thank you to my parents and my friends who have made this past year so wonderful.