I used to see growing up as just getting older- little (and by little I mean when I was a child) me did not see it as anything else. It was just the excitement of being able to do more. Now as an older individual, I see that growing up is so much more than getting older: it is change; in your identity, in your life, discovering new things. Sometimes it is pain in order to learn. It is getting lost and finding your way again.

More than anything I see growing up as constantly discovering new parts about yourself and how to react to the different situations life throws at you. Growing up isn't the linear straight forward idea I had as a child - it can be really hard. Realising realities that as a child you were most likely shielded from. Little me did not realise that growing up meant going through a very confusing period as a teenager, full of self-doubt and not really knowing what I wanted or was capable of achieving. Even when I was 18, I thought that after teenage years, I wouldn't necessarily go through a period of being as confused or lost again. 19 year old me has realised the truth is you never stop growing up- you just learn to handle it better and understand what it entails. 

I am not saying growing up is negative - I see it quite the opposite actually - it is self-discovery, a journey and part of the mysteries of life. I have learned to appreciate growing up, even though it can be difficult as the most challenging of circumstances are the situations that teach you the most. But, the result is beautiful. Being able to realise how much you have learnt and the way you have become stronger and more resilient is really satisfying- realising just how much you are capable of overcoming. I realise that getting older isn't necessarily growing, but that growing up is something we never stop doing - we will always be learning and changing and that is part of the magic of life. We all have phases in our life where we are different people and that is OK. We don't have to reach a point where we are completely sure of our identity and who we are because we are always on that journey.