There’s no question that I deserve the mess that I am in. I was reckless and entitled. Making sense of my debt and how to pay it off has not been easy, and the way I got here isn’t something I’m especially proud of. Thankfully, this debt won’t ruin my life. Educating myself on my finances and forgoing a bustling social life for a second job were nonnegotiable steps to reduce my debt. Perhaps I needed to crash and burn financially in order to understand the simple lesson that didn't stick at age 14: to not live frivolously. While I still enjoy Michelin-starred restaurants and designer clothes, I know these cannot be weekly or even monthly purchases. Paying down my debt has actually given me something to look forward to; whether it’s taking a vacation somewhere exotic or putting a down payment on a house, I’ll be proud to pay for it on my own dime.