My name is Mika, I am 19 years old. I often think about who I am becoming, and sometimes I catch myself feeling like life is only just beginning, yet it already asks me for courage. I don’t know everything yet, and honestly, I’m not always confident — but I am learning.

I can be different. One day I am strong and confident, another day I am sensitive and quiet. It is important for me to feel understood, even when I am silent. I love moments of solitude, when I can stay alone with my thoughts, music, or a book, and try to understand myself a little better.

I often doubt myself, but deep inside I believe in myself more than it may seem. I want to find my place and the people with whom I can be real, without masks. I don’t strive to be perfect — I want to be alive.

I am 19, and many paths lie ahead of me. Sometimes it is frightening, but more often it gives me hope. I am not in a hurry. I allow myself to move at my own pace and believe that one day I will look back and understand: it was all worth it.