Eastside — Growing Up, Dreams, and Reality
Alright, so picture this—
You’re seventeen. Seventeen! The age where you think you know everything, which is adorable, because you absolutely do not.
But you feel like you do. And honestly? That’s kind of the point.
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💄 Seventeen: The Delusion Years (And I Mean That Lovingly)
At seventeen, I had a plan.
A plan! With structure. With elegance. With—brace yourself—confidence.
You think:
- “I’m going to fall in love.”
- “It’s going to be perfect.”
- “We’re going to build a life together.”
And not just any life. A beautiful life. Matching towels. Coordinated furniture. Maybe a bar cart if things go well.
You’re not dreaming small. You’re dreaming like someone who has never paid rent.
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🚕 Running Away… But Make It Romantic
Then comes the running.
Not like, “call the police,” running— More like, “this town is too small for my personality” running.
You meet someone. Of course you do. And suddenly, everything becomes very dramatic, very fast.
You’re in love. You’re escaping. You’re building a future.
And you’re doing all of this with the decision-making skills of someone who still needs permission to stay out past midnight.
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🕰️ And Then—You Wake Up at 23
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
You blink… and suddenly you’re twenty-three.
Twenty-three! Which is basically seventeen with:
- more responsibilities
- fewer illusions
- and a terrifying awareness of your bank account
And now the questions change.
It’s no longer: “Are we going to take on the world?”
It’s: “Can we afford groceries and still feel emotions?”
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💋 Reality: Not as Cute, Still Wearing Heels
Life gets… complicated.
The dreams? Still there. But now they’re wearing slightly uncomfortable shoes.
You’ve got bills. Expectations. Maybe a job that wasn’t in the original vision board.
And the love story?
Oh, it’s still there too—but now it’s less “fireworks” and more “are we emotionally stable today?”
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❤️ The Real Surprise
Here’s the twist no one tells you at seventeen:
If someone stays— through the chaos, the bad decisions, the questionable hairstyles—
that’s the real miracle.
Not the running away. Not the grand plan.
The staying.
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✨ Final Thought (Because I’m Feeling Generous)
Growing up isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about realizing the girl at seventeen… wasn’t wrong.
She was just… optimistic. Aggressively so.
And honestly?
Good for her.
Because without that version of you— you’d never have had the nerve to start any of it.
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Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a drink and a better life plan.