my birthday is in five days. i’m turning 17. this is both exciting and scary at the same time. i remember when i was younger i thought about the day that my birthdate would be the same as the age i was turning. 17 was such a big number. i remember thinking about how far off it was, about how having a license seemed dumb. why would you need a license when your mom could just drive you around? why would someone ever do drugs and drink if they’re bad for you? everything starts to seem surreal if you don’t take a moment and let it sink in every once in a while.