Thirty Two Days until 24

I can't be alone when I say that almost everyone older than me has mentioned how incredibly disparate your 20's can be. I think I can attest to that sentiment more lately than ever before. Within the course of a few hours, I can be joyful, angry, sad, melancholic, bitter, kind, and grateful. There have even been a few times in which I've responded to my mom or dad with something snarky, only to come to the realization that I don't even know what I'm so angry with.

I'm going to be 24 years old in just thirty two days. If you want to talk logistics, I have far surpassed my quarter-life crisis. And yet I find myself concerned with the same thought nearly every day: I don't think I've achieved any major, hell modest, feat since I graduated college. At QU, I was every parent's poster child: great GPA, Editor-in-Chief of the university's literary magazine, honors society member, tutor. You name it, at the very least I tried it. But boy, did I underestimate the leap into adulthood. Working in Sales and Marketing is exciting yet terribly stressful, and the only other time I have left in the day is spent at the gym. I've learned to appreciate the saying, "I wish there were (insert number here) more hours in the day."

One of the things I miss most about college is my BA program in English. Writing is a true passion of mine and I don't believe I'll ever understand the people who claim it's the bane of their existence. When a fresh pad of paper stands between me and my pen, it almost feels euphoric. So when it came time to cure my 20-something blues (on top of these horrid winter blues slowly creeping up on me), I decided to name my blog "Yoknapatawpha Dreaming." My final thesis paper was based on William Faulkner, the author responsible for As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, and so many more extraordinary works. Nearly all of his pieces takes place in Yoknapatawpha County, an imaginary place Faulkner created to base all his characters in. Often times, I feel like I could reside in this whimsicality. I'm proud to say that while I may have gone through my ups and downs these past two years since graduation, I have never lost any adherence to my imagination.

If I'm going to venture forth into this bizarre yet fascinating time in my life, I'd rather document it in the hopes that I can learn from my mistakes and improve upon my strengths. At this age, I have the world at my fingertips. Why not use it at my disposal?

"Don't be 'a writer.' Be writing."

xo Jessica