Let me just start this out by saying I’m pretty young. I’ve only been in college for a year, and I probably still haven’t fully grown into myself.

I occasionally watch The Disney Channel and romance over the band members of One Direction. I’m still figuring out who I am, what I want to do with my life and, truthfully, what I want to have for dinner.

Now, with all of that being said, how the hell am I supposed to also balance a relationship or dating? Throw romance into the mix, and I feel as though I am drowning in a pool full of “adult decisions” without a proper floatation device.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve wanted to be an adult since I was 10 years old.

I looked forward to independence, moving out of the shoebox town I lived in and not feeling suffocated by adolescence. I admired the women in movies, walking fabulously in stilettos while entering a tall building, and I only dreamed of one day having a job as glamorous as theirs.

As an adult, I feel I am finally at the age where I am truly shedding off old skin and finding a new layer that is fully and unapologetically me.

I’ve wandered outside of the little town I grew up in, I’ve lived on my own, and I’ve been dealing with the nasty bills adults always warned me about.

Beyond all my newfound duties, I’ve also seen a new side to dating and relationships. It’s as if love takes on a new and intense pressure with Generation-Y.

I believe a lot of men and women think growing up means finding a partner, settling down, buying a house with a white picket fence and busting out babies left and right. Don’t get me wrong; there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a lifestyle that’s ordinary.

I, on the other hand, wouldn’t necessarily say the picturesque, expected life is the one I want to be living.

In all honesty, I’ve just started living. I want to do things I’ve never experienced or encountered. I want to travel across the country, backpack through Europe, ride in a little boat in Italy, hike tall mountains and, for the first time in my life, feel alive.

I’m free to do whatever I want, travel where I want to, be with and interact with whomever I want and chase my goals.

I see so many people my age looking left and right for their perfect soulmates, the people they’re going to spend the rest of their lives with. They’re focusing too hard on something they think they need at this very second, when in reality, they’re missing out on life.

In retrospect, love is absolutely beautiful. It’s an amazing thing to be in love or to be loved deeply by another person. A true connection is often taken advantage of, and it’s exceptionally rare to find.

I really do envy those who were fortunate enough to have stumbled across a love or relationship so strong at a young age, but in no way, shape or form am I busy searching for one myself.

In a lot of cases, dating makes chasing your dreams seem unachievable. You can’t just get up and leave the person you love for a job offer, or if you want to explore the acres of territory you still haven’t roamed.

Sometimes, it takes being alone and taking time for yourself to find out exactly who you are, who you want to become and what you want to pursue.

Dating and relationships can wait. The right person will be there for you, whether it’s while you’re following your heart and chasing your dreams or afterward.

Personally, I’m not wasting any effort on trying to find my “other half” at 19 years old. I have the rest of my life for dating, even if that means finally getting married when grey hairs start sprouting on my head.

My concerns are living a successful life and building a future career.

While you’re off chasing men and wondering why they’re not texting you back, I’m too busy chasing my dreams and studying for exams.

While you’re day dreaming about “Mr. Perfect,” I’m daydreaming about the penthouse overlooking the city I will someday reside in.

While you’re off dating and falling in love with somebody else, I’m busy creating a better version of myself and, most importantly, falling in love with who I am.