Up until the age of 22, you can probably leverage your age to get out of the messiest of situations. As you get past 22, it hits you that shit is getting real around here in more ways than you can keep track of.
1. All of a sudden all you hear about are kids your age changing the world, making it a better place.
You watch them changing the face of modern technology, buying million dollar houses and looking beautiful as if they have no business being human. At that point, all you start doing is questioning your very existence, wondering you aren’t the one being rich and famous or running your own company.
2. You become the project that everyone around you will love working on!
Be prepared for never-ending questions about your future plans, queries about your interests and raised eyebrows at your choices especially those concerning marriage. Punching holes into walls is a normal reaction.
3. You will be a kid who all of a sudden finds himself/herself having to act as an adult.
This results in utter confusion. Now you’re too old to be repeating your mistakes but then again too young to act too much of an adult. You’re too old to eat cereal for dinner but too young to cook. You are too old to go out every night but then again not old enough to stay in and do nothing.
4. Any time you might even think of complaining, someone somewhere is bound to say, “Welcome to the real world!”
5. As incredulous as it may sound, your best friends will change.
You will outgrow some and outdistance others. It’s just the way of life, everything is changing and you can do nothing but adapt.
6. Before 23, finishing seasons of a show was an accomplishment.
Now seeing Netflix ask you if you’re still watching a show, seems like a judgment and every time you will click ‘Continue Watching’ a small voice is going to tell you that you need to stop. You will often catch yourself thinking, “You don’t know me Netflix and you don’t know what I’m about. Don’t judge me!”
7. Most of the time, it seems like your life is heading nowhere but miraculously you might experience a fleeting moment where you will make the mistake of allowing yourself to believe that everything will be okay.
It is that moment that the universe waits for, to kick you in your gut and reminds you, “you’re still 23, you little shit!”
8. “Tired” is no longer a temporary state for your body that you will get a chance to rest and grow out of.
It will become an innate part of your personality and continue to grow so with time.
9. You stay glued to your mobile screens, not so much for social media or games, but to validate the decisions you are making, on Google and self-help websites.
10. You start dressing like a confused being who can’t decide when to let go of their glitter headbands and when ripped jeans are appropriate.
There are trying times when you know you have to choose the boring shoes, pull up your pants, not to forget to zip your purse again and realize that make-up experiments are not work-appropriate.
11. You have to come to terms with the fact that you cannot afford your lifestyle.
The excitement that you felt on having your own bank account quickly fades away as you realize it’s more like a countdown towards crossing over the poverty line. Important trade-offs have to be made between new shoes and starving for a week.
