Avoiding The Traditional Path: Chasing Authenticity

Hey guys! Today’s post is going to be a little bit more personal! I want to share with you what avoiding the traditional life path so many other people my age pursue relentlessly. Ever since my sophomore year of high school, I knew I wanted to be different than everyone else. I wanted to do different things, I wanted to hang out with different people, I wanted to be different. I feel like a lot of times (because of my interests) people thought I wanted to be cool or popular. Honestly, I have always felt like I wanted to be the total opposite of cool or popular because nine times out of ten, having those traits means fitting in with everyone else.

Anyways back to sophomore year. I had big plans of different ways I could get out of my tiny high school in Indiana. I had plans to graduate early, to do YWAM, and more. I knew that I never wanted to live a traditional life and that I definitely did not want to get stuck living in the midwest for my entire life. I was super unhappy and I knew that I was different than everyone else. I didn’t care about anything that other people put their energy into like big friend groups, having parties, or posting the best selfie on Instagram. I began caring more about my real life instead of how I was portrayed on social media. That is what I liked about blogging, it was a creative outlet that did not involve self-gain. It was simply my words and thoughts for others to read if they wanted.

With the way things turned out, I ended up graduating in 2019 with my high school diploma and in 2020 with my Associate’s degree. I was super proud of myself and I was really glad that I had saved so much money and accomplished so much at such a young age. I also felt free: free from the feeling of having to go to college and get a four-year degree like everyone else.

Once I announced my graduation, the questions constantly began rolling in

“What’s next?”

“What are you doing next year?” 

“Where are you working this summer?” 

These questions honestly made me scratch my head a bit. I feel like in our society, everyone is constantly looking towards the future and planning everything constantly. There are also a ton of unspoken rules that a ton of people seem to follow…

“You have to attend a four-year university” 

“Make sure you’re building your credit” 

“You can’t get married until you graduate college”

These rules and concepts society has placed on us seem sort of ridiculous to me because no one seems to take time to appreciate the phases they are in. Everyone is constantly focused on reaching goals instead of relishing in the moment. Who I am is not based on my accomplishments, how popular I am, or all of the things I have. Who I am is my relationship with God, my feelings, my hobbies, what makes me happy, and how I love others.

I am at a super weird place in my life. The world is literally at my fingertips. Will I get a job? Will I get my bachelor’s degree? Will I get married? That is something you are going to need to wait and find out! Continue to stay tuned and continue to read my blog as the path of my life goes on. I don’t want to live in the routine of everyone else. I want to chase happiness and the plan God has for me. Right now I am just focusing on my blog and touching the lives of others. If you all have any suggestions for posts or different concepts on my platform, let me know in the contact section of my blog or message me on Instagram @thoughts.from.cami! Have an amazing day everyone!!