Last Saturday was my birthday and it officially launched me into my late 20s. I’m a 27-year-old now, and even though the ring of that takes some getting used to, I do think I feel like a 27-year-old. When I was younger I had a clear idea of where I’d want to be by this time in my life, and aside from having a kid or two, I actually somehow managed to tick all the boxes. And I can’t say I really mind not having any children yet, haha!
All in all I must say my 20s have been kind to me so far. I silently struggled quite a lot in my teens, but my 20s have been relatively smooth sailing (aside from some minor storms here and there) and have brought me some very valuable things that I’d like to highlight in this post.
Freedom
First and foremost, the most important thing I’ve gained in my 20s has definitely been freedom. On many different levels. The freedom that comes with independence and living on my own. The freedom of finally having control over my time, as I exited the education system after 17 long years. The freedom to decide what direction I want to take my life in. The freedom to take risks as I’m not yet responsible for other human beings. And also, of course, financial freedom.
Money
I took a leap of faith in my early 20s and decided to go full time with my online entertainment business. I won’t be able to say whether that was a good decision or not until we get to the other side of this ride, but for now, I’m only happy that I did it. Running a business, especially one that’s so dependent on factors outside of my control, comes with many risks and mine definitely goes through all seasons. Sometimes things are amazing, sometimes they’re dire, but overall I’ve seen growth that has brought me a degree of financial stability I never had before. My early 20s, as many people’s, I imagine, were a financial struggle that has taught me a lot about managing money and stretching it as far as it’ll go. It was a valuable lesson that benefits me to this day, and makes me appreciate what I have now so much more.
Exercise
Somewhere towards my mid-20s I finally accepted that I needed to incorporate exercise into my life, and I can’t even begin to explain the benefits this mindset shift has brought me. What it took for me to be willing to start working out consciously was realising that exercise isn’t for weight loss, but for health. I always used my figure as an excuse for not having to exercise, as it was never something I enjoyed. Not having to lose weight, in my mind, meant not having to work out, and the prospect of being fit in old age was too far away a goal to truly motivate me. Boy was I wrong. Adopting a more active lifestyle has done wonders for my emotional state, as well as my strength and the back and shoulder pain I always had. It’s helped me feel more confident and healthy, and I can’t see myself ever not making this a priority anymore.
Mental Health
The older I get, the better I feel equipped to handle my inner world. My thoughts and especially emotions can get really intense and I’m sure this is something that’ll require active effort for the rest of my life, but I feel more and more stable the older I get. I’ve started actively seeking out help in my 20s, which has been very useful, and I also feel like I know myself better and better and know what I need in order to thrive.
Animals
Growing up, animals weren’t really part of my life. My family never had pets and I didn’t care much for zoos, petting farms and animal documentaries. In fact, I was scared of nearly all animals. Oh how that changed! Through a series of circumstances I became a rat mom and a vegetarian at roughly the same time in my early 20s, and now I can’t imagine a life where animals don’t play an important part. It’s a massive enrichment in my life and I feel really good about both loving the animals close to me, and doing others a favour by my effort to personally add to their suffering as little as possible.
Growth
My 20s have allowed for more personal growth than I realised was happening at the time. I’ve really been pushing my boundaries and expanding my world, and I think I’m a better person for it. Many things I thought were impossible for me ten years ago are a reality now, and I hope to keep pushing myself (gently) in the years to come. Change is good, growth is good.
Love
Even though my relationship with Robbert started in our late teens, it really solidified through time. It took a while before I knew this wasn’t just a teenage fling or “that first relationship that never works out”, but that this was for real and he was here to stay. Many highschool sweethearts grow apart in their 20s, or don’t survive the college years. I’m extremely grateful that we’ve actually grown together and grown closer in a way that only a long term relationship can bring. I can’t imagine my life without him now and I don’t want to. It’s been an amazing enrichment and one of the most important things I’ve gained.
