25.

The other night I was on the phone with a good friend of mine who was worried about his upcoming birthday. He (as I will in about six weeks) will turn 25. He started to freak out a little about where he is in life and how he thinks he should be someplace else. It made me think...

I think so many of us go through a quarter life crisis because we are confused. Through our lives, everyone our age is just about at the same point. At five we go to kindergarten. At six we are in first grade. At 13 we are in middle school and at 18 we graduate high school. After high school, most of us are ushered off to college because that is what we are "supposed to do." Some go their own way, but they are in the minority at this point in society. At 22 we graduate college with a degree and big dreams. As we spend our last summer days soaking up the sun, we each start to go our own direction and this is where many of us get lost.

The days of being a student are over...or just beginning for those who choose to return to higher education for advanced degrees. Some start applying to "real" jobs to start their careers while others have their eyes on husbands, wives and children. This is where we all branch off and move with our dreams and goals and therefore, land in all places imaginable.

Those who move home envy those who move out. Those with low salaries envy those with high salaries. Those who hate their jobs long for careers in which they have a passion. Some surpass careers to live their dream of starting a family. In all these situations, everyone is in a different place and this is where your parents old words of wisdom come in handy: Don't compare yourself to others. This is the time, more important than any time before, to realize who we are, what makes us happy and where we want to go. It is not a problem if we aren't quite where we want to be, as long as we know where we want to go.

As my dad (good 'ol Euge) said to me the other day on our drive back from the gym, "You know, life is like driving. As long as you know where you are going and you don't get lost when you encounter detours and construction, and know how to merge safely, you will arrive at your destination after the long journey. But if you don't take the time to stop at the stoplights and look out the window, you will miss the scenery. You won't get to see the things you are passing as the journey continues. It's about where you end up, but more importantly about the ride and the fun you have getting there." Advice you always hear, but it can't hurt to hear it one more time.

Good for you, Euge.