Growth feels increasingly relevant as the seasons change and the years pass on. At 23 years old, I feel so distant from my childhood form yet not far enough. Finishing college and entering adulthood has been a shift that I couldn’t have imagined. I abandoned a lifestyle I’d lived my entire life up until that point; School, classes, summers, sports, friends and peers of similar hobbies and capacity. I’ve transitioned into a traditional career lifestyle that doesn’t compromise for individuality. Studying engineering teaches you problem solving but it doesn’t teach you how to handle the people that don't care to problem solve. Studying engineering reminds you of the privilege of a college degree sets you on a path that less advantaged people than you would kill for. Stability and consistency are cherished, under-recognized concepts that no one ever wants to leave. While I remember my teenage and adolescence so clearly, it’s unsettling to think how far away those years actually are. How much further I continue to grow away from the years that used to represent me.

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