The Million Dollar Question

At 12:01 pm, I shall reach the pinnacle of my twenties. Youth wanes and reality dominates. It's as if you are living unscathed and then suddenly you feel old. Granted, I know 25 is not the end of the world; however, it's when I truly give consideration to the changes that have happened and need to happen that I notice how differently I am.

For instance...

Music can be too loud
I refer to anyone under 23 as a "kid"
"Back in the day" and "Remember when" have comfortably found way into my
conversations
Many high schoolers and college students annoy the crap out of me
I think about what I'm eating and how it's going to affect my health 10 years from now
My to do list consists of "get cholesterol checked" and "go to the gym"
I have a budget and a 401k
My tax return is more than $5
Joints crack like I'm crumbling into a heap
When there is a significant weather change, I can literally feel it in my bones
After reviewing my family history I realize that my estimated life expectancy is 35
I hesitate changing my career because I don't want to lose my benefits

Food for thought...

Since entering the 1st grade a schedule of sorts had been set. Every August I knew school was in session for the next nine months, then there was summer break, then back to school. This repeated for 17 years. I knew what to expect in an upcoming semester. I trudged or skipped happily through ready to complete another phase of life. Biting at the bit to move on with the real world...Now I feel weird because there isn't that end in sight. I find myself living for 4:30 pm or my next adventurous trip. Other than that, I almost feel lost without that something to work for. So, I'm trying to figure out what new goals I want to set. The hard part is not having the boundaries and expectations of finishing them on someone else's schedule, but on my own. (Because that requires discipline...hahaha.) I find myself ecstatic and a bit frightened. I don't want to default to continued education just to fill the "void" and supposedly make myself feel better. This is the time to sieze my dreams. What in the world should I do?

In spite of it all, I am delighted to be alive! Never would I have thought that the experiences in my life would bring me to the place I am now. I am truly blessed.