A blink of an eye ago, I was a 17-year-old turning 18 wearing a custom made blush-coloured gown. I had an intimate dinner at the David Duncan House with several of my closest family and friends. At this event, I had quite a youthful look. I had an Elsa from Frozen-inspired hairstyle and had simple makeup on.

A year has passed and I’m sipping rosé with my closest friends at an upscale restaurant downtown. We dinner at a French restaurant called Colette Grande Café. The ambiance was amazing – the interiors looked very Parisian and there was a live band. The service from the waiting staff was also great. The restaurant, my friends, the food and the downtown Toronto vibes, made me extremely happy as to how my birthday turned out. I’m not the type to ask for any presents, all I wanted was to have a great time with my best friends. Now at this event, my hair was shorter, lighter and I was wearing plum-coloured lipstick.

What I’m wearing: Blazer: H&M  |  Crochet Shorts: Spoof |  Necklace: Forever 21 | Heels: Jessica Simpson

Within that year, a lot has happened. After my 18^th birthday, prom, graduation, summer and university came along. I noticed that I’ve matured so much from the minute I was 18 to the minute I turned 19. The summer after senior year was definitely a memorable one. I met some extremely cool people and partied ‘til dawn with my friends until September came. That meant university was coming. My best friends and I were inseparable in high school. We were all scattered when school came because we all went to different post-secondary institutions. It came down to the point where I didn’t see some of my friends for a number of months, but I thank them for understanding that sometimes life happens and that we can’t always have the time to see each other the way we did in high school. It doesn’t matter how many times you see your friend. The thing that matters the most is how fast you bounce back to the way it was when you reunite – as if you were never separated in the first place. However, when I was separated from my friends, I noticed an individual growth. I spent time doing something I love and being in the program that I enjoy in. I’m not going to lie when I say that I’ve endured hardships, because I did. Every single week my life was in shambles because I had deadlines to meet. My friends at this point in the year thought that I was dead. I then began a blog with a friend from high school who is in the same program as me in university. We both share the same passion and the same career goal in life so it was really easy collaborating. It’s assuring for me to have someone that keeps me on track because sometimes I can be a little pessimistic. She’s the complete opposite. When I started this blog, I was so grateful for the support I got from my friends and my family. It gave me this newfound confidence about the career path that I chose to walk on. I finally have a set goal and I’m so eager to reach it. Of course, having that confidence and drive didn’t all come from me. The people in my program inspired me. They inspire me a lot. I’ve accepted that there are students that are a lot more experienced and more skilled at writing articles and conducting interviews than me. Journalism is a competitive program and the only way to do better is to embrace that. If I see another prosper, there’s no need to be jealous of someone else’s success. This just drives me to be better. I may not live an extravagant life like other 19-year-olds. I mean, I don’t party and get drunk every weekend, but I’m content with my life. I’m happy with the decisions I make. I know what I like and what I don’t like. I know where I want to be. You may be wondering, what is that goal I’ve finally found? It’s to be successful. And no it’s not the definition you’re thinking about. Success is different with everyone. When I mean I want to be successful is that I want to live a life where I’m happy and I’m doing something I love. It can be a simple life, or it can be an extravagant life, just as long as I’m receiving as much love as I am today.