I'm learning to love my age. There are so many things that are BETTER in your mid twenties than they were in your early twenties. You still have LOADS of fun, but instead of partying until the wee hours of the morning, rolling outta bed to go to school/work looking like a train wreck with only a couple hours of sleep and last night's makeup on, you have dinner parties and movie nights, and designated 'girls night outs' (which actually DON'T involve boys at all, except to talk about them, of course). In fact, you have a lot more fun because everything is more intimate and real and people are actually sober and even more interesting. Not to mention in your mid twenties, you travel more with your friends, not just day trips but weekends away because you're old enough to actually afford it/check into a hotel/rent a car.
But as we get older, there are some habits from our late teens/early twenties that we have to give up. I'm not saying that we shouldn't embrace our inner child and just become mature robot adults, (I mean, come on, I still laugh at potty humor!) but that there are some things we should leave to the youngins and embrace our awesome older (although slower metabolism) selves.
Things We're (I'm) Getting Too Old To Do
1. Midnight movies…
Remember when you were dying to see a movie that came out and would flock to the nearest theater with a group of friends for the Thursday MIDNIGHT release? Yeah, me too. It was awesome. But remember how TIRED you were the next day? Well, that times a thousand is how it feels in your mid twenties when you don't enough sleep.
I love shows, don't get me wrong. Like, I LOVE THEM. Concerts are just about my favorite things. But they're exhausting. They take A LOT of energy, especially the outdoor summer concerts, which in Northern California, are like 110 degrees... Ugh, I'm tired just thinking about it. You want to party and dance and have fun, but you start to panic when all the youths are still goin strong and you're desperately hoping for the bands to switch so you can rest your achin' bones.
I've always had a crush on Jimmy Fallon, so when he got Late Night and then The Tonight Show, I was desperately eager to watch him EVERY NIGHT. Except when 10 o'clock hits, my eyes start to droop and I'm ready to pass out by 11. So I watch it recorded instead. Only when you're growing up does sleep out weigh your crushes.
When I was younger (okay, from elementary school until like Senior year of high school), having "sleepovers" meant your friends came over and you talked ALL night, watched movies, played truth or dare and DIDN'T sleep a wink. And then when you're first in college, pulling an "all nighter" was considered a badge of honor, just part of the whole "college experience". Nowadays, anything that happens after midnight is a freaking blur. I get delirious, somewhat deranged and really really giggly. I just can't function whatsoever, not to mention the next day, as I guzzle Redbull after Redbull just trying to keep my eyes open. At a certain point, none of that is worth it anymore.
It used to be that you could eat anything you wanted at any time of day and not feel or notice a thing! However, in your mid twenties you start to notice a change in metabolism. You can't have everything you want anymore and definitely not any time of day. Eating something completely awesome tasting past 8 pm will surely have you waking up with heart burn the next morning and hating your life.
Remember when you didn't really have any bills to worry about and you could just spend your money on anything (and everything) you wanted? Yeah, me either. But as you grow up you attain more and more grown-up bills, which are daunting and expensive and heavy with the weight of responsibility. You love to spend money but have gotten yourself into trouble (maybe on several occasions) in the past, and it's time to start having "big-kid finances". You can no longer drop a wad of cash at the MAC counter or Steve Madden, just because you want to. You can no longer eat out for every meal because hey, why not!? No, you have bills to pay and creating a budget is absolutely essential, not to mention putting money away into savings and balancing a check book. Kids have it so easy.
We used to think we could manage our worlds just with our brain power. I'm never going to forget that appointment! How could I?! It's only the most important appointment in the history of appointments! And then you realize you've forgotten and you're kicking yourself as it feels like you're life is ending and mass amounts of anxiety and fear are scourging through your blood stream. Okay, this may be dramatic but you get the idea. The feeling as you realized you forgot about your doctors appointment, forgot to pick up the dogs, forgot to update your drivers license, forgot to pick up your medication and it's a Friday before a holiday weekend, is indescribable. Growing up means organization and using your "appointment book", except now they make it easy and everything's available on your smart phone calendar! There's even this free post-it note app that you can write memo's on and set up notifications for!
8. Not drinking enough water.
Yeah, drinking water was never a priority for me except during soccer season. But in my early twenties when I wasn't playing soccer anymore, I could care less about my water consumption. Pass me a Diet Coke or a Rockstar please! Water was for wussies! Not anymore. As you get older you understand how important water is for your health, your skin, and well, just about everything.
Most of the time, in our late teens and early twenties, we're still struggling with self confidence, we're still unsure of ourselves, and more willing to let people walk all over you. But not anymore! You're a real adult now; you're smart, capable, and ready to take on the world! And you can! But you know now that you can't accomplish your goals if you let people take advantage of you and walk all over you. Stand up and respect yourself.
Ahhhh, a night in, watching OnDemand or your Netflix que or even some movies...ordering takeout and having it delivered so that you don't even have to put a bra on or heck, maybe even pants... IS THE WAY TO LIVE. Sure, going out is still nice, every once in a while. But staying at home, either by yourself or with your friends, and just relaxing is the way to go! Bring out the games and grub and enjoy an evening completely centered around each other (or yourself!) without having to get dolled up, wait for a table, or struggle to find parking downtown.
Kevin G sure had a point. Because this year is Mean Girls' 10 year anniversary, I had to include this. When we're younger, most of us seriously care what other people think of us. I had a strange timeline because I didn't really care what people thought of me until I graduated high school, which lasted from my late teens through my early/mid twenties. Only now am I starting to not care anymore; I'm getting more comfortable in my own skin. I'm figuring out who I really am and learning not settle for anything less than what I want. As we age, we're more sure of who we are as individuals. We're learning to stand up for ourselves and not take anyone's crap, because you know what, we're freaking awesome.
Ahhh yes, the moment the sun starts to shine we run to the beach or pool side (or backyard) and lounge in the radiant light, soaking up that Vitamin D, eager to start our summer tans. As young, naive teenagers we used to spritz that Banana Boat Dark Tanning Oil all over us and sit in the sun for hours and hours. Sure, we got lovely dark skin (and sometimes a horrible sunburn) but it seemed worth it! Now, we know better. We know that while we may get tan now, we're WAY more likely to get skin cancer later, and more wrinkles! Growing up means forgetting our childish notions of glamor and accepting our skin for the way it is. Growing up means sunscreen, SPF 70 style.
Sure, everyone is unsure of themselves at one point or another. But no more. We are no longer girls, we're women! We're beautiful, strong, intelligent, independent women! Take a page out of Beyonce's book and embrace who you are, embrace the flaws that you've always hated but actually are AMAZING and what make you, YOU. Believe in yourself. You're fierce and you you've totally got this! It's easier said than done, but it's a great goal to work on. And hey, fake it till you make it! And eventually you'll be there!
We used to pull all nighters or party until dawn and it was totally fine. Nowadays it's more like we're hard workin girls with jobs or families or school, and we sacrifice A LOT to have what we have. And we love it! But as we grow up, we have to learn when and what to sacrifice. Sure, you'll get more done but it's not worth it when you've got ulcers, insomnia, and dark circles under your eyes. It's time to give up those bad habits and prioritize! Give up something (anything!) else, but don't give up your sleep/eating/hygiene. Seriously, we've all done this before, but enough is enough! We deserve to relax and get our eight hours a night, thank you very much!
Let's just get one thing clear: WE'RE REALLY AWESOME. We work hard and play hard and we deserve to be happy! We deserve to get what we work hard for. And when we get there, we deserve to be proud of it! We're not cocky, we're confident and we know now what we deserve and we're not settling. We're reaching the top and basking in the sunlight. And when we get there, you better believe we're high fiving a million angels, a la Liz Lemon style.
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