F*ck, I’m Twenty Five

We are gathered here today to mourn my youth. Today, I’m twenty-five.

I’m absolutely horrified. How can I be twenty-five? When my age comes up in conversation, more times than not, I blurt out that I’m twenty-two. WRONG. I have absolutely no clue why I do it. It’s like my brain refuses to admit three years have gone by. I’m trapped in a weird place. Being twenty-five is truly such a weird age.

Unfortunately, I’m not the cool twenty-five. I’m the nine to five, have a house, bed by 10:00 pm, gets drunk off one mimosa twenty-five (honestly not a negative. Minimal effort, maximum results).

Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve fucked up a lot, burned some bridges, and took a ride on the hot mess express way more than I’d like to admit. But, I look back and laugh because wow I don’t regret anything. Not the breakups, the makeups, or the questionable hookups.

But, nevertheless I decided I’d share what I’ve learned. I know, I’m being the super cliché blogger right now. Deal with it- I’m in mourning.

25 THINGS I LEARNED IN 25 YEARS:

1. People will come in and out of your life. Some friendships are not meant to be lifelong. Sometimes they appear when you need them and fade as you grow up. It’s okay to let people go.
2. He’s not worth it.  Losing a little bit of yourself will leave you lost.
3. Moving on is hard, but necessary. When things end. Move on. Holding onto the past will blind you from seeing what’s right in front of you.
4. Always wear sunscreen. Future you will thank you for it.
5. STOP DYING YOUR HAIR WHEN A BOY HURTS YOU. Black box dye is hard to get out.
6. Money is not everything. Don’t let people with more make you feel like less.
7. Compartmentalizing the people in your life will only make things harder.  Stop putting people in boxes and let your worlds collide. Its hard, its tiring, and its not going to work.
8. Push yourself. Stop being conformable. Get out there, take chances, and be brave.
9. Tattoos are permeant. That tiara tattoo you got is stupid.
10. Take your health more seriously. Go to the doctor. Drink lots of water and eat something other than pizza for once.
11. Stop using your credit card. Grow your savings not your debt.
12. Start paying off your loans your freshman year. Shopping is fun but a $1,200 monthly student loan payment is not.
13. Don’t date your boss. Just don’t. It’s not worth it. It’s not going to work out.
14. Invest in your clothing. Fast fashion is hardly ever worth it.
15. Reach out. Stop making it everyone else’s responsibility to connect.
16. Girl, get some sleep. Two hours of sleep after a night out is not recommended, but I’m sure you’ll do it anyways.
17. Intern more. Start early and focus on building relationships.
18. The one who got away was never meant to stick around.
19. Cherish the time you have with the people you love. They won’t always be around.
20. Speak up. Don’t suffer in silence.
21. Care less about what others think. It is none of your business what other people think. Stop letting the fear of being judged keep you from living freely.
22. I’m an introvert. Take time to recharge and have a second to yourself.
23. If you are miserable, leave. No job is worth your happiness or your sanity.
24. The world is not fair. Learn it, recognize it, but never let it be an excuse.
25. Life is never as simple as you thought it would be. Life is messy and complicated.

Eeek. I’m reading these back and it kinda came out way more serious than I originally intended. Whoops.

I conclusion: I am still upset that I’m old.

RIP youth.

This post F*ck I’m Twenty-Five first appeared on Twenty Something.com