I am a sixteen-year-old girl. Movies, TV shows, and songs are always busy praising the age of sweet sixteen. What is so sweet about being a sixteen-year-old? I am not a young child anymore, but I am not a full grownup at the same time. I am expected by the world to be changed, to make progress, and to move forward, but I am still forgiven when mistakes are made. I would like to call this period of my life as the “intermediate era.” During this era of rapid alternations and transformations, various explorations are possible and allowed. However, once I graduate from my little-fairy-tale-happy-lala-land and enter the real world, I will then have to face a new strong flavor: the bitterness of life.

Life, so far, was sweet, I would say. I lived in the safe zone and stayed under the roof created by my parents. Instructions given by parents, preachers, and teachers have guided me through certain paths so far; yet now I encounter a large wilderness presented in front of me. There is no map, no road, no tour guide, but me. I have the invisible pen and the transparent paper in my hands to draw a new map. I have my feet to leave footprints that create a rough, new road. Finally, I get to prepare myself as the new tour guide of the future.

Life will become bitter, people say. You will face hardships, people warn. Yes, I am scared and worried about my ambiguous future. Nothing has been solidified, and no vision has been constructed. I am afraid to face changes. However, worrying about it brings nothing practical. No matter what I want, I will become an adult and graduate say goodbye to the safe zone. Life was sweet so far. But I have tasted nothing but the sweetness. Let’s suppose that life that I will have to have as a grownup tastes bitter. Well, at least, it’s a new, different type of flavor. Am I ready? Not really. Am I excited? Absolutely!