Twenty-three has to be the most uncomfortable, frustrating, awkward age.

This past summer (I know, I’m thinking back to summer when there’s dustings of snow on the ground outside) I helped out a couple days at my home church’s high school summer youth conference. The conference attracts around 900 9^th-12^th graders, so you can image the craziness. On a volleyball tournament day I walked over to purchase bottled water from the concession stand. On my walk back I was hit on by a group of high school boys, which ended promptly like this:

• “You know I’m almost 23.”
• *startled faces*
• “That’s okay, I’m almost 18!” Oh my word. That’s a high school mind for ya.

I get it. Sometimes I look really young. But then again, sometimes I look my age. It’s really all based on how I style my appearance.

At the other end of the spectrum, I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked my plans once I finish my Masters Degree, or if I’m dating anyone, or engaged, or married, or where I plan on living. Future talk. It’s a big black hole of I have no idea.

Unfortunately during this stage of life I don’t want to always be mistaken for being five years younger than what I actually am. I also don’t want the expectations of full-blown, 40-something adulthood (having a family, solid home residence, solid and profitable job).

Being twenty-three really is challenging. I want to buy a pink wig and fake eyelashes for the Catching Fire premier. I also want to perform well at my workplace and get all the positive experience I can to help me get that awesome, full-time career job in years to come.

Life takes time. Nothing worth having ever comes easily. Fresh out of undergrad and no longer surround by my peers 24/7—it’s tough. Twenty-three is in a category of it’s own. But that’s okay. There is only one way to approach living a life when you don’t have a clue where that big black hole called the future will lead you—and that’s living in the present.

It’s okay that 23 can still be mistaken for 18. It’s okay to live at home while working on a degree or a job to save money. It’s okay to not have your future planned out step by step. It’s okay because God has it. He’s already planned it. He already knows. And I plan on following.

Everyone has different life stories that are right for him or her, and this is mine.

I’m 23 and embracing everything that goes along with it.