22,23,24…25! ‘I MADE IT!’ After a few inbetweener years, there’s something so solid about saying ‘I’m 25-years-old’. And dare I say, it seems more ‘grown up’.
As I turned my back on my early twenties this May and into new territory it felt different somehow (a milestone for lack of a better word). So different, in fact, that I actually celebrated this one, after years of ‘Oh sorry, I’m just going to have a family dinner TBH’.
Here’s some sound bites (and secret thoughts) most people will have when they reach the big 2-5…
1. ‘Ugh, I feel like s--t this morning’
Yep, it’s the morning after your 25th birthday. Recalling the night’s events you’re pretty sure that was the best night out of your life… but what’s this horrible headache that you definitely did not have on your 21st. As you get older, the enzymes you use to metabolize alcohol stop working as well. What’s that? A drink after work? Make that a half pint please.
2. ‘When will wedding season end?’
Your mates, long lost cousins and everyone in between all seem to be getting hitched. It was fun at first, but now you’re thinking you’ll probably have to start a wedding fund. And you’re just a guest.
3. ‘Mum, you’re the best!’
The rows, the sharing a tiny bathroom for X amount of years, the tantrums after she told you that belly piercing maybe wasn’t such a good idea. While you and Mummy Dearest have had many a fall out, you’ve endured the awkward teen years and now see each other as equals. And y’know she’s actually a pretty cool person. Well, that’s until she moans about tidying your bedroom…
4. ‘I really need to move out of my parents’ home…’
If your plans to walk into a creatively-fulfilling, 30K job straight out of uni have yet to be realised, then sometimes relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad in the form of rent-free living is the price you have to pay.
5. ‘I am Nigella Lawson’
So you’ve moved out – hurrah! But alas, you still crave those Sunday spag bols. Don’t worry, ‘I’ve got this covered,’ you tell yourself, as your pour over endless foodie Instagrams. I mean, how hard could it be?
6. ‘Being single is kind of great’
At 25, you’ll likely have had experienced some heartbreak or tragic flings with people you definitely did not want to bring home to meet the 'rents. For the first time you’re probably happy in the big bad world – sans boyfriend/girlfriend. And now you have free time to fill in your days with activities you’d never thought to do before.
7. ‘I want to quit my job’
That cliché ‘If I don’t do it now, I never will’ phrase is rearing its head. Found yourself in a job you took when you were 22 and now starting to question your whole life? Don’t worry, this is your twenties! Experiment. Switch careers if you want to.
8. ‘No, I won’t…’
Your late teens/early twenties were the people pleasing years. Now you’re learning the power of NO. It feels amazing.
9. ‘Trip to MUJI anyone?’
Your university halls may have been plastered with Pulp Fiction posters but now you’re all about the minimal décor and cream-toned candles everywhere. You’ve now officially made the transition from IKEA to MUJI.
10. ‘I really should invest in a Burberry trench’
Hmm, starting to feel like that Primark number just really isn’t cutting it anymore? Yep, that voice in your head that says ‘buy more timeless wardrobe pieces’ is starting to kick in…
11. ‘My mum’s Chanel No.5 perfume really isn’t that gross’
It was poisonous as a teenager. Too strong. Now? £49 well spent.
12. ‘Hold up, I think I’m turning INTO my mother’
You both find the same people annoying. You laugh at the same TV shows. And in 2016 the pair of you are both channelling the socks and Birkenstocks combo. It seemed unfashionable at the school gates, but chic Scandi-style vibes now.
13. ‘Grown up gap year, here I come…’
'I NEED TO TRAVEL MORE BEFORE I’M 30!' You tell yourself, your friends/parents/colleagues/ anyone who will listen. Then look at Skyscanner costs and think, 'er, maybe next year'.
14. ‘I’m a quarter of the way through my life…’
Assuming I live until I’m 100-years-old.
15. ‘SPF 50, please’
You may have spent every summer holiday wearing factor 15 in the hope of achieving a Jessica Alba tan, but now you’re all about high protection to prevent early signs of ageing. That and every Hollywood actress swears by it.
16. ‘F--k it’
You want to dye your hair pink? Or wear that OTT sequinned top in the back of your wardrobe? You now care less about what people think about your fashion/beauty choices. Finding your own style is the best part of growing up.
17. ‘Let the Facebook friend spring clean begin’
You haven’t got time for toxic relationships anymore – whether it’s that awful, awful guy doesn’t deserve your likes or your so-called ‘BFF’ who puts you down.
18. ‘The knicker box set is everything’
Yes, you may have snarled when your mum placed five pairs of white cotton briefs on your bed when you were younger – but now you have to buy underwear yourself? Bring.It.On.
19. ‘Sorry, you don’t remember Dawson’s Creek?!’
You now have conversations that start with ‘Ah, when I was your age…’
20. ‘Brunch is the new dinner’
Weekend plans sorted.
21. ‘Only one year left to enjoy 1/3 off travel’
Ba-bye 16-25 railcard!
22. ‘Shopping date for one, thanks’
The days of heading to a Mall with your friends have long gone. You now cherish ‘Me Time’ more than anything.
23. ‘I need to go to my local garden centre this weekend’
First on the list: Houseplant.
24. ‘I feel like I’m behind everyone else…’
Maybe you took a gap year (or two). Or maybe you realised that, actually, a Law degree really was not your calling. Regardless, doing a little late-night LinkedIn stalking can make you feel like you’re not really where you ‘should’ be.
25. ‘This is just the beginning’
Being 25 is pretty great.