“20, keep the bar rolling
Fake ID’s in the trash, we going
Straight to the top, rooftop glows
With a hand full of girls and they all so foreign”
– The Weeknd, Crew Love
I turn 21 tomorrow. On my birthday last year I used all the money that my relatives sent me to pay some bills. I was flat broke and my birthday money was the only hope I had of paying for anything that month. Like the majority of college kids in America, I had zero money. The plasma center and a few random Straight jobs were basically all that kept me afloat. At the end of the school year I went and got a job in a warehouse. At the time I thought I was getting paid big money. All the other jobs I had applied for paid just above minimum wage, this one shelled out $10 an hour.
Last year seems like a dream now. A few weeks ago I was actually shocked when I remembered that I had ever had a job, or that it seemed like making money online was a near impossible goal. Before writing this post I earned $110. There’s another hundred waiting for me once I finish up two more articles.
Before summer ends I plan on taking a road trip. I’ll rent a nice car for my journey. If I write an eBook about my adventure I can write off most of the expenses. A year ago I didn’t even know that was possible.
People act amazed that you can make money online or get paid to write. Most “writers” my age are just lazy hacks who are too free spirited to actually get a job. They claim to be the next Hemingway, but haven’t produced a single written paragraph.
You don’t know what’s real until you’ve lived it. I used to think that every guy who claimed to make money online was a fraud. While I’m still skeptical of a lot of them, it’s something that I’ve learned is possible. Freelancing isn’t as fun as bloggers and gurus like to hype it up to be, but does grant you freedoms that a normal job wouldn’t. You can take a break whenever, work at your own pace, and dress however you want. There’s HR and some disgruntled coworker isn’t going to run to the boss every time his feelings are hurt.
I had a lot of fun being 20. It was a roller coaster of emotion. I decided to discontinue my college education, I did end up getting a degree though, and set out to try and follow my dreams. Ever since I was a kid I’ve wanted to be a writer. When I was little I imagined that I could be world famous and get invited to White House dinners and prestigious events. When I got a little older I thought it would get me girls. Now, I’m just happy that I get to make my living off of words and enjoy every second of my job.
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I would ever make it. There were more than a few times when I seriously considered giving up. It’s hard to be the only kid who isn’t going back to school. People mock you and make jokes. You weren’t cool enough to go into debt so that you could get drunk with your peers and coast by on mediocre grades. While the cool kids are all looking forward to exciting futures as office assistants and gym teachers I’ve opened up a new pathway for myself.
My last birthday feels like something that happened in an entirely different lifetime. All the problems and challenges that I had faced seem inconsequential now. I’m definitely looking forward to the upcoming year.