name is Bany, and I recently turned 18, and I feel like I'm standing on the very edge of something huge and important. It seems like I'm still the same girl who can laugh at silly things and listen to music on headphones for hours, but inside, there's a constant feeling that real life is beginning. Sometimes it's inspiring, and sometimes it's a little scary

In the future, I see myself as independent—not just financially, but also mentally. I want to be able to make decisions and take responsibility for them. I dream of traveling, seeing different cities and countries, meeting people who think differently than I do, and expanding my world. I also want to surround myself with like-minded people, with whom I can talk about everything and remain silent without feeling awkward

I dream of finding my place in the world—not the loudest and not necessarily the perfect one, but my own. I want to do something that makes my eyes sparkle, and wake up in the morning knowing that today has meaning. It's important for me to feel like I'm growing: smarter, bolder, more honest with myself. I want to learn, try, make mistakes, and not be afraid to start over

I don't make very clear plans for my life—the world changes too quickly. But I do have goals: to be myself, not to betray my values, not to live "for later," and not to settle for less than what truly makes me alive. And perhaps my greatest dream is to one day look back and say, "I wasn't afraid to live."