So I know it’s going to seem a little weird posting an image of the Eifel Tower on July 4th, but this picture and the trip that it came from changed my life. Ten years ago, I took a trip of a lifetime. I went on a two week tour of Europe starting in Rome and ending in London. It was absolutely amazing and I’m so thankful to my parents and school for making it happen.

The whole trip was amazing, but it was this particular day: July 4th 2007 that made the most significant impact. We had a fairly structured trip with museum and church tours prescheduled. But in each city we were given one afternoon where we were able to explore. We could go shopping, visit other museums, try local food. It was always our favorite day.

I can’t remember exactly what we wanted to do in Paris, but it required us to use the metro. Unfortunately for me, I took Spanish in high school and was of no help when it came to reading the French signs to get where we needed to go. But I remember looking at the signs and connecting the words with the map, and figuring out that we needed to take the red line to get back to the hotel! I was SO impressed with myself: a seventeen year old girl in a foreign country with very little “life” experience figured out how to navigate herself in a place where she didn’t know the language.

And it was that moment where something inside of me changed. I felt more confident in myself and my ability to be my own person. The worries of navigating senior year of high school and leaving for college and moving out became less scary. I felt like I could actually do it. Do life. Be an adult.

So that day, July 4, 2007 is monumental in my life. It is kind of when I mentally transitioned from feeling like a child to feeling like I could be an adult.

Sometimes being a dates girl is annoying, but days like today make me happy. Having a powerful memory so closely related to a date is fun. What a great way to spend July 4th. I’m so thankful I’m able to be an adult and live life in this amazing country I call home.