Thought's on turning 24

I turn 24 next Saturday and I'm in that weird stage in my life where half my friends around my age
are getting married and having kids and the other half aren't. If you had asked me a few years ago I would've said I would be in the former group but I'm not and I am totally ok with it :)

My life has never been easy and it's only been the past year or so that my life has been settling down and I am feeling on top of things. I was unemployed for 2 years prior to studying and they were a really dark time for me, I faced a lot of battles but I came out stronger and here I am. I look back and go there was no way I could even think about throwing a guy into the mix as I didn't love myself at times so why should I expect a guy to

love me? I also had it into my mind that there was no way anyone would love me if I didn't have a job and it took a lot of people and time to convince me that for the right guy it wouldn't be an issue.

When I was younger I thought that by 24 I would have a great job, married and with either a kid on the way or seriously thinking about kids. Instead I'm studying, single and I have a cat (who's the cutest ginger cat ever) and that is totally fine with me. My anxiety levels for the first time in forever are stable and while I do have bad days they aren't nearly as bad as what they were. I am more aware of my self-care needs and anxiety management, I know when to say no to things and when to push myself. I have proven so many people wrong with what I have achieved, it's hard to believe that I was ever that girl whose doctor thought that she would never graduate high school. Yet here I am with a cert. 3 in Business, a cert. 4 in Community Services and studying to get my Diploma in Community Services.

I have no doubt that past me would be amazed with what I have achieved, yes 24 isn't how I thought it would look in the past but it's so much better. I know I will achieve all those things I thought I would achieve by 24 in my own time (or really God's time).