Vienna Waits For You

13 Going on 30 struck a chord with me when I was 15. Like Jenna Rink, I aspired to be like the pretty, popular, and successful women that I saw the magazines, and I anticipated the day when those dreams would come to fruition. With my mind always focused on the future, I often forgot to appreciate the joyful, carefree days of being a teenager and the importance of living in the moment.

In the scene where Jenna travels back home after realizing how much of a mess her adult life is, Billy Joel's "Vienna" poignantly plays in the background. That was the first time that I had ever heard that song, and I considered it to be a profound moment because it caused me to re-evaluate my 'grow up and get out' mentality on life.






Slow down, you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want or you get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Am I where I thought I would be at 23?

No, but I am appreciating the journey even more.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell