I attempted to begin this post last summer, shortly after turning twenty six and entering the dreaded "late twenties." I wanted to capture my feelings: a mix of nostalgia and anxiety, with a slight sense of gratuity regarding my station in life: mid twenties with no "real" responsibilities, a burgeoning career and loving boyfriend. I was pretty convinced that I had chosen the right path, and almost felt superior to those who had gone in other directions. However, in the time that has passed since turning twenty six, I think I have learned a few more things: my path is right for me, but it is not for everyone.
It's apparent that my twenties have been the most significant decade for me yet (and that's still with 3.3 years to go), but that goes without saying: ages 0-10 were spent eating, crying, sleeping, watching Disney movies and being scared cutting my hair would hurt. Ages 11-20 were definitely the most formative, from long haired tomboy to college cheerleader with a brief pit stop at Hot Topic in between--those ten years took me on an adventure I would never like to relive, but am glad I went through it.
And then you hit twenty, and the decisions slowly become more pronounced. Your sense of responsibility starts to reflect your character. And you become held accountable, more and more, for what you are doing. Suddenly, behavior that was expected and tolerable at twenty-two makes you look like a trainwreck at twenty-five. You begin to walk this very fine, indecipherable line; where you must define yourself and your priorities with the choices that you make.
