21 and Thoughtful

 

So I’ve basically been contemplating on what to write about the past two weeks because honestly, so many unique things happen to me on a day to day basis that my life is like a television comedy. From awkward interactions with former male partners to getting called back for an unexpected final interview with Teach for America, my life always manages to keep things interesting for me. Really, ask any of my sisters. Anyhoo, as you all know, I am the youngest of the 5 and although I may not have as many life experiences as what my four older, beautiful sisters do, I still have a lot to bring to the table.

Today, April 7, is a very special day for me because it is my birthday! I am finally turning the big 2-1. I will no longer have to be paranoid when the police come into the bars and randomly decide to card people and I will no longer have to have my older sisters dress me in an “old lady” disguise just so I can get into the dueling piano bar. I guess I have finally reached the age where I can do EVERYTHING, not including renting a rental car, and for me I finally feel like I have reached adulthood in society’s eyes. However, although it is a very exciting day for me and will probably be one of the most memorable birthdays I’ve had thus far, my birthday signifies so much more than that to me. Because I am an Alesch, I have the capacity to think and reflect on the bigger message within certain situations, circumstances, etc. and as my sister Anne said in her previous post, “it is both my greatest gift, as well as my Achilles heel.” This is my reflection:

To me a birthday not only means that you are getting one year older, but it also signifies the passing of time. During this passing of time you have experienced many new life endeavors and developed as an individual. For myself, I like to think that every year my many moments of fear, strength, sadness, anger, and so on so forth have all shaped me into the wonderful woman I am today. As my tribute to this blog, I would like to reflect on the ways in which I have grown this past year.

This past year was honestly one of the best years I have experienced because so many experiences have helped me shape my views, opinions, daily routine, etc. This past summer I attended Basic Training and AIT for the Iowa National Guard. Great way to spend a summer, huh? Really, it wasn’t that bad though. I met a lot of unique individuals that I probably would have never come into contact with in the real world because we come from completely different regions and backgrounds. Basic Training and AIT force you to spend time and become best friends with people you normally wouldn’t interact with because at the time, they are the only people by your side to get you through the bullshit you’re going through. You look to the people to your left and right and it’s them that are encouraging you and making you persevere to accomplish the mission. I honestly learned so much through my experience at Basic and AIT about who I was as a person, my strengths as well as my weaknesses, but I also learned so much in regards to other cultures, races, economic backgrounds, etc.

After I returned from Basic and AIT in September this past year, I kind of had an “oh shit” moment. I had gotten back too late to start school that semester so it kind of put me in an awkward place in comparison to my peers. So, once again being an Alesch, I went balls to the wall and got a full time job at Panera Bread in Iowa City and a part time job being a nanny for three children: Julia, Brody, and Tyler. While many of my peers were going out at night, I was in bed by 10:00 p.m. because I had to be at Panera for work at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. At the time, this truly sucked, but now in hindsight, I am really grateful for this experience because it gave me a taste of the real world. It taught me great responsibility and made me realize that I was not going to be young and in college forever. There was more to life than going out and getting wasted with your friends; I had a life to create. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, this experience also taught me to cherish the time I had left in college because these years were abruptly coming to an end and I needed to enjoy them while I could.

When I first started my babysitting job, I really never expected for it to continue once I started school again in the spring. I thought it was just going to be a temporary job to make a little extra cash, however, I fell in love with the family and the kids and now I feel more like a big sister to all of the children, as well as a close family friend to the parents. I do a lot for them and they do a lot for me and I think it is really hard to find sincere relationships like the one I have with this family. I am truly grateful.

After Christmas break rolled around and ended, it was time for me to go back to school. I had high anxiety about returning to the classroom because I was nervous that I was going to be unmotivated and forget how to even do school work anymore. The exact opposite effect took place though. I am highly motivated this semester and I had forgotten how much I missed and enjoyed school. I love all of my classes this semester and believe this is going to be my best academic semester yet. Many good things have happened to me this semester because of it, as well. I got accepted for an internship out of Washington D.C., called back for a final interview with Teach for America and accepted into the Study Abroad program in Spain I applied for this summer.

Now, you may be wondering what the point of me rambling on about my life experiences is and I guess the point is that it is truly amazing how much can change in a year and also crazy how things seem to fall directly into place and happen because that is a particular experience you might need at the time. How we grow as a person and how the experiences we go through shape our opinions, views and attitude toward the world. Today, I am turning one year older, but to me my birthday means so much more to me. It is a time for me to reflect on the past year and cherish the moments in which I have hurt, been happy, been frustrated, loved, hoped, etc. and say that is why I am the person I am today. It’s absolutely crazy just how much can happen in a year and the results that these occurrences bring to you. So anyway, I encourage each and every one of you to, on top of the presents and celebrations, think back and reflect how YOU have changed and grown as an individual on your next birthday, the one after that, and the one after that because after all, once we stop learning and growing, we truly stop LIVING.

Happy 21^st to me, drinks up ya’ll. <3