Time changes who we are

Saturday was my 20th birthday. I'm no longer a teenager, and over the course of the weekend, I just kept linking things to this theme of Change.

I know I've changed a lot since high school, since starting college, since working, even since a mere few months ago. Change is constantly happening, and I'm glad for it because all of the things that have impacted this growth has made me into a better person, into a person I'm comfortable with who's happy with how my life is going.

Saturday night, I got to catch up with my friend from high school, Sarah, who was also my doubles partner in tennis my senior year if you remember. I hadn't seen her since graduation and we didn't keep in thorough touch when we headed off to college. It was an impromptu hangout, and I got to look into who she's become since heading off to the University of Riverside and she got a glance at what I've been doing. We both have changed so much, practically into completely different people. I just found it so...interesting and enlightening. With myself, I've seen the gradual changes so it's never been as noticeable to myself, but with Sarah, it was almost shocking how she's made this complete 180 turn. And so, I started to reflect on how much I have changed.

I, too, have made a complete turn around. I still remember how innocent and naive I used to be, how crazy I acted. I remember my reactions to things that happened to me. I remember my passiveness and how I just let others speak for me without ever voicing what I thought. All that has changed; some more than others. I still do the same things, but not to those extremes. After I've thought about it over the past few days, I've come to terms with several things that have helped me change for the better (since going off to college). I'll try to go chronologically, so there's some sense to my rambling.

1. Sorority
This has probably made the biggest impact on me. It has really helped me to get out of my shell, forced me to get out of my comfort zone and form real relationships with girls that I didn't know before. I've become so comfortable with them that I can cry in front of them without feeling embarrassed. I can pour my heart out and know that they won't judge me. They've helped me strive to take on leadership roles and do things that I'd never do before. Iota Delta has really allowed me to mature, to be more professional, to be more open, to just be...dynamic.

2. My fiance
He's been a big part of my life the moment he stepped foot into it. Josh has showed me a happiness I've only dreamed of. I wasn't the happiest person in high school. I was never optimistic about things, but he's showed me that I can have my happy ending. He makes me feel confident in myself and in the things I do. He never shuts me down and only supports me in my decisions. I've been struggling with what I want to do for a career, and he assures me that no matter what happens, we're going to be happy and I should pursue something that I enjoy doing.

3. Twitter & the Iran Election
I'm sure a lot of people think I'm crazy for saying that Twitter has changed my life, but it truly has. I will be the first to admit that I hated the idea of Twitter before I started using it. Of course, then, I'd only known it for the triviality of it being like mere Facebook statuses. After joining, I soon discovered it was much more. It's allowed me to make connections that I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise, connections that may one day help me in my career. But the biggest factor has been the result of the Iran Election.
Seeing the tweets from inside Iran, seeing all of the support worldwide made me want to partake in the movement and try to make a difference in the world. After I saw how the Iranians were risking their lives to fight for democracy, for a fair election, and for their human rights, I finally realized how much I was taking my freedoms for granted. I was never a political person before this. I never registered to vote because I didn't have that personal urge, that connection to go out there and cast a vote. Needless to say, I'm now officially registered to vote and my eyes have opened to more of the world's problems. I've attended a candlelight vigil and a rally in support of the Iranians, and I've come back from those events feeling empowered for being a part of something bigger than any one of us.

I know that there are plenty of other things that have also contributed to my growth, but these are the biggest things that come to mind. Just last semester, I took a Myers-Briggs personality test and I was an ISTJ. I took another version last night and in just a few short months, I've turned into an ISFP. We're all constantly changing as our lives move forward. We form meaningful relationships with one another that help us grow. Our thoughts and ideas alter as we encounter new experiences. So to all my friends, I wish you all the most beautiful changes in your life and the greatest happiness they can bring you as they have already begun to do for me.