What other age group is it appropriate to stay up until two in the morning, eating chocolate and over analyzing everything? Or having discussions with your cat over your complicated love life? The answer, of course, is the ever dramatic and bittersweet twenties. These vulnerable years are just as intense as your awkward high school days, only with a small flare of adulthood and maturity. We are miserably stuck somewhere between 'I'm ready to take on the real world' and 'I'm not getting out of bed until I'm done eating my feelings.' That overwhelming feeling of our fading youth crawls up our spine and makes want to run and hide. We sometimes desperately want to relive our childhood; when we were fed scheduled meals, our laundry was done AND folded, and the inconvenience called "monthly bills" did not yet exist.
On the other hand, our real sense of freedom had not yet started during those carefree days. We couldn't pick up our keys, head to the mall and rack up our credit card bills. We could not yet attend college where you choose what you want to study instead of pretending you belong in a complex math class. But the trade off still exists. Being a woman in my twenties, I have the freedom to drive myself to a store in a car that i bought with money i earned. But these privileges come at a cost. Literally. Adults need to work to support their freedom. Almost sounds contradictory but worth the effort, right?
The twenties are miserable because we are expected by societal standards to have a plan for our future and be confident in our decisions which determine the rest of our lives. Living up to the expectation of going to college and finding a decent job, takes more of a toll on us than we think. We constantly search in desperation to find a longterm significant other, because we think we are running out of time. Our unreasonable desire to make a successful future for ourselves is overwhelming and needless to say; beyond stressful.
But the twenties are also amazing. As much as we don't want to admit it, we are almost fascinated by the unknowns the world has in store for us. We indulge in our own drama, but all the while enjoy and appreciate every step of the way. Your first car, your first apartment, your first real heart break. They are all building blocks and some moments we wish to relive again. So why rush? Agonizing over who we will be is our weird way of cherishing every experience we encounter. Making memories with close friends over a bottle of wine, getting wrapped up in family laughter and togetherness, and fighting with your significant other over who is a better driver; all necessary moments that you wouldn't trade for anything on this Earth. Nothing compares to living in the actual moment. So slow it down, because the truth is, we don't have to have all the answers. We don't have to have every detail of our lives planned out yet. Enjoy the ride and don't wave goodbye to your youth just yet. Absorb the valuable lessons and love every minute of your delightfully melancholy twenties.
