Ah... my first blog. Does this mean I've made it now? I
gained inspiration for this blog from a coworker of mine, Hannah. We were
laughing at ourselves and our underdeveloped lives as we came to a stunning
realization; we were a week away from our 24th birthday.
"Remember when we were like, 17, and we thought we would have our whole lives together by the time we were 22..." Hannah said. Boy, those were the days.
"Remember when we were like, 17, and we thought we would have our whole lives together by the time we were 22..." Hannah said. Boy, those were the days.
If someone were to ask me back then what my
life would look like, I would be married, have at least one kid, and have
written my first book by the time I was 24 that would make me enough money to
buy my own house and a wonderful wardrobe. Ha. Now, I still have 2 semesters
left to finish my bachelors in English (I have no idea what I am going do with
it), about $300 in my savings account and have been living with my
we'll-be-engaged-by-Christmas (2 Christmases ago) - boyfriend for 3 years in a
small, 1 bedroom, 3rd floor apartment next to a neighbor that loves Rave music
at 11pm. And yes people, I am trying to sleep by 11pm. I'm 24 now.
When I
think back to when I was 17 and dreaming of moving to New York City and
becoming the next Carrie Bradshaw, I think..."What a naive little
person." Life had a very different plan for me. I am sure I speak of the majority of twenty-somethings
out there who have realized that things don't always happen the way you think
they will and happiness sort of redefines itself along the way. Now, happiness for
me is being able to afford to put $50 in the savings account every month. Now that's
cause for great excitement and I have to admit, I always have a little party as
I make the online transfer.
Being
24 can be a confusing time. At least for me it is. It feels as though we are in
the middle of being an immature twenty-something (after all, we can't be
trusted with rental cars yet) to a mature twenty-something. For example, is it
still okay to stay out all night with girlfriends? What if you run into that promising
network connection you just made on LinkedIn? Well, let's just hope you didn't
have too many long islands (They are the Thursday night special ya know). And
when is it time to stop shopping in the junior section at JCPennies and start browsing
the racks at H&M, J. Crew, the Limited and Express? Should we wear acrylic
on our nails or stick to the simple, conservative Shellac? Should I buy the
pink flowered comforter that is super cute, or something more adult? Is it
still okay to go to dance clubs or time to switch to the casual-drink-home-by-9
sort of night? Should I buy the fun, cute Volkswagen Bug Convertible or something
more practical like the Toyota Camry? Someone should write a manual for
surviving the world as a twenty-something.
Speaking
of buying a car, my recent experience changed the way I look at life as a twenty-something
forever. Since I am a ghost in the credit world, I had to go to my family's
banker for some help. When I went to the bank to get a loan for my car, which would
be the first car I ever purchased myself, I was hit with the realization that I
need to start thinking in "real world" terms. My banker, whom I've
known for awhile and have a pretty good relationship with, asked me a question
that changed my thought process on every decision I make. I was deciding
between a gorgeous, light blue Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible and a small, red
Chevy Aveo (good gas mileage people). I asked which one was the better deal; I
really wanted the Eclipse and pictured myself driving down the road with the
top down singing to Lady Gaga. Jim (the banker) answered, "Well, which one
can you fit a car seat in?" Woah. He had a point. I was taking the loan
out for 5 years, meaning I would have this car 5 years from now and that future
might include a kid or two. Holy crap, how did I get here? I am caught in the
middle of trying to keep a fantastic social life and careless style while
making big decisions that were going to affect me 5 years from now. This, by
the way, would make me 1 year shy of 30.
There marks the beginning of my
journey and the theme of my new blog; how do we live our lives as a
twenty-something?
Love it!! :)
ReplyDeleteYes. This is fantastic. Yesterday at work, I had a small heart attack when I saw that our newest full-time staff member was born in August of 1993. Gulp—I'm old. Later that evening, I made a s'more in the microwave. Ahh—I'm not THAT old. Thanks for opening a forum in which we can celebrate these daily dichotomies of twenty-something life.
ReplyDeleteAhh... the famous younger employee, higher status situation. This makes me feel as though I have some catching up to do.
ReplyDeleteGood idea on the s'more! We make ours over the stove (this only works if you have a flame stove... or whatever they're called)
Kasi, we just got a Chevy Malibu. A family car. While babies are at least 5 years down the road... It was a shock to even be thinking about it!
ReplyDeleteI know! It is so crazy to think about.
ReplyDeleteDalie, its hard to even think about you being married. But it looks good on you =)