Lauren Day

New dads and old seasoned veterans alike. Grandpas and uncles and anything else in between. I'm not wise by any chance, I am just a daughter of a regular American dad, but I have one thing to say to you and one thing only: surf with your kids.

I am a SoCal rat. A member of the elite and ambigious SoCal rat pack. Envied by millions around the world hated by NorCal natives

Wow. Well, that came on fast. My 18 years of life are being fulfilled this very moment and I feel g r e a t... but not quite in the moment. The day before my birthday, I was laying on the floor of my room crying (I know, what a great way to start this essay, especially with that intro line?!). But for real, I was crying. Sobbing actually. I already had my annual family birthday the weekend before and that was nice but I always kinda of hated it because it never felt personal. The party was fun as always but I was missing my friends. A lot of my friends couldn't show up because it's the first week of college and everyone is moving or freaking out about starting school. So no one kind of showed. My real wish for my 18th was just to see all of my friends again. I was willing to turn around, go back to Monterey for two days and burn back down to SoCal for Labour Day weekend, just to have a bonfire with them. But plans fell through, and I couldn't get all of my friends to come one one day so yeah, I was crying my eyes out. Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. Yeah, I laid there on the night before my 18th, crying my eyes out, trying to figure out a way to make my only true birthday wish happen. But it didn't. I guess there's no better slap in the face of reality than that. Welcome to damn adulthood little Lo. Who knew being 18 would be so heartbreaking.

Sometimes, I just think about what I was doing on this day, last year. It's interesting to try and think back to this day last year. What were you doing? Where did you go? Who were you friends with at the time? What did you do leading up to this very special day? How was your life at the time? How is it different now?

Wow. It's almost here. I'm 2 days away from being 18 and I don't know how to feel. I know that more opportunities are going to come my way in life and I know that more things are going to open up for me—my world is my oyster at this point. But still. More responsibilities. More time to manage.

I feel like gold in the sun. I am a product of SoCal-- a child of the golden SoCal Sun-- who has fled to the wet