Blink of an Eye

My friend Carol Chaves shared the below excerpt on her Instagram story the other day, and it really hit me in my core reading it as a 27-year-old.

“There’ll be a moment when you realize you’re 27 when yesterday you were just 17; and you wouldn’t be able to tell how a decade passed away and your life got divided into before and afters. The fury of youth will subdue and nothing will really change, but everything will feel different when you look at old photographs and blurry videos taken on cheap mobile phones. Scents will remind you of childhood, and certain friends you don’t talk to any more. Hangouts will become reunions, and mom’s burnt pie will become the best food you ever had. And I know on some days you won’t be able to show anything of those 10 years, but I hope you remember to breathe, and let go of the knot in your chest. I hope you go out in the sun and live a little because tomorrow is 37.” – Ritika Jyala, excerpt from The Flesh I Burned

My roommates read this excerpt too, and we all got to talking around the kitchen counter. It resonated so deeply with all of us. We started reminiscing about being 17 and how our lives were so vastly different back then. 2024 will mark our 10-year anniversary of graduating high school, which is jaw-dropping. In the blink of an eye, I jumped from being 17 to 27. A full decade has passed, yet I remember being 17 like it was yesterday. I am so thankful for my youth-filled 17-year-old era. However, so many of us could have never predicted what lied ahead for each of us as we entered adulthood. I surely could have never predicted the hardships that were going to be a part of the next 10 years of my life, but I grew to be so much stronger because of them. A few of these instances include:

17 year old me would have never imagined losing a lot of family members in a sudden sequence of time.

17 year old me would have never imagined growing distant and ending friendships and relationships with those whom I thought were forever connections.

17 year old me overthought everything, was a people-pleaser, and a perfectionist through and through. (I am still a perfectionist at heart – LOL)

17 year old me let the little things get to me, and didn’t have a strong enough backbone to stand up to bullies.

17 year old me would have never imagined having an extremely difficult freshman year of college that led to transferring schools and changing my career goal focus.

17 year old me would have never imagined moving around companies while being uncertain of what her true calling was.

However, 27 year old me stands tall today and am beyond proud of shifting my mindset, building up my character, and overcoming many trials in the past decade. I have accomplished various wonderful milestones along the way. All of these moments have shaped me into someone that 17 year old me would have been so proud to have envisioned for her future.

In these past 10 years, some highlights include:

· Graduating high school

· Graduating college and receiving a Bachelor’s degree

· Almost finished with my Master’s degree program

· Traveling to countless countries and states

· Launching a blog that allows me to share my thoughts and writing for the world to see

· Moving to Florida, living minutes from the beach, and getting to live with my best friends

I have matured greatly in the past decade. I have endured some challenges, as most do, but I have had fun along the way while learning. Every step has led me to growing into the 27-year-old woman I am today. I have come to love myself and the life I have built and continue to build for myself. I am endlessly grateful for God, my angels, my family, and my friends, who are so supportive and loving. I have the most incredible circle of divine and in-person relationships. I am not the 17 year-old girl that I once was – though she will forever be a part of me. I am so sure of who I am and who I want to continue to be. I am strong. I am loved. I am worthy. I am capable. I am who 17 year old me couldn’t be because we were meant to evolve and grow into the woman I always dreamed of being slowly but surely.

In the blink of an eye, I will be 37 and looking back at all that I have learned, overcame, and accomplished since being 27. Time passes by so quickly, and I am grateful for each day that I wake up and get the chance to live out another day. I will continue to challenge myself in all areas of my life for my future self. I hope you do as well! Pictured below is a picture of my friend Ariane's daughter Lauren, and I from this past weekend. I have gotten to see her grow into her personality more and more each time I see her. I want to be a role model for all generations. Inspiring and lighting the way for others will make the world such a brighter and hopeful place.

Remember to stay humble and kind, always!

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xo –Jess