Quarters are where reports begin.

Reaching 25 is a benchmark we set for ourselves. Everyone, in general, thinks 25 is where life begins. But what about 18? Why not 15? And why not 35? Why do we say “quarter-life crisis” and not just a crisis in general? I definitely do not know the answer to that, but there are some answers I have experienced!

I completed my college at 21, did I? That is another question but yeah. Set out to pursue a better degree at 23. And here I am at 24, standing on a foundation built with perseverance and lessons learned from failures. A small job, few good colleagues and a lost life. I was never sure of what I want until almost my last breath. I realised that the dreams I set to myself were mere dreams. So far, I was always thinking I could fight with the world, but, why should I fight with the world when I need to blend in with it? 

College wasn’t easy, and neither was anything else in general. Every gold I ever touched turned into dust. Little did I know that all the dust was turning into stardust. Experiences carve time, or so I believe. We think life offers everything on a platter when we keep walking on the bumpy roads we come across. That may be true, but what is the point of looking at the platter if you’re missing the lessons from the road you’re traveling on?

The road—it’s been on my mind lately, and let’s talk about it for a moment. It’s not a straight line. It curves, it dips, it climbs. Sometimes, it’s littered with thorns, and other times, it’s smooth as silk. And yet, it’s on these uneven paths that we find our stories. It’s where our courage is tested, where resilience becomes our ally, and where we gather the wisdom that no textbook can teach.

At 24, I’ve come to embrace the uncertainties. The idea that it’s okay to not have it all figured out is liberating. Life isn’t a race to be won; it’s a journey to be savored. And what a journey it is when you stop trying to fit into the mold and start creating your own.

We’re so caught up in reaching milestones that we forget to celebrate the small victories, the friendships formed, the lessons learned, the quiet moments of clarity. Each one of these is a star in the galaxy of our lives, and together they light up our path, even when we feel lost.

So here I am, at the so called “quarter” of my life, not in crisis but in contemplation. I’m learning to embrace the chaos, to see the beauty in the imperfect, and to trust that every step, no matter how small or uncertain, is part of a greater journey. And perhaps that’s what life is all about, not the destination, but the road, with all its bumps and blessings.