The Many Eras of Being a 20 Something Women

Being in your 20s is like constantly becoming a new version of yourself. One month you’re convinced you have your entire life together, and the next you’re questioning every decision you’ve ever made. You’re figuring out your career, friendships, personal style, finances, and what you actually want to do out of life. Somehow, everyone around you seems to be entering a different chapter, and you’re just trying to keep up with your own. SZA’s song “20 Something’’ captures so many feelings that come with this decade. From wondering how you’re already in your 20s to feeling like you should have figured it out by now, it’s a reminder that growing up isn’t always as easy as we imagined. Your 20s are full of different versions of yourself. Some you love, some you rather forget and some you didn’t even see coming. Here are five eras that make being a 20-something woman such a unique experience. 

The ‘’I Have My Whole Life Ahead Of Me” Era

At the beginning of your 20s, everything feels possible. You have big dreams, endless plans, and a million ideas about what your future could look like. You might think you know exactly where you’ll be in five years, what career you’ll have, and what your life will look like. There’s excitement in not knowing what’s coming next, and you start to realize that the world is finally opening up to you. It’s the era of saying yes to new experiences, taking chances and believing that anything can happen. You feel like you have so much time ahead of you and you’re ready to see where life takes you. 

The “What Am I Doing With My Life” Era

Then comes the reality check. Suddenly, everyone seems to have a plan except for you. You’re questioning your choices, comparing yourself to people online and wondering if you’re where you’re supposed to be. You might feel behind, even when you know there’s no actual deadline for figuring everything out. It’s the era of overthinking every single little decision and wondering if every wrong move could change your entire future. You start thinking about where you imagined you’d be by now and comparing it to where you actually are. Sometimes the hardest part of growing up is accepting that life doesn’t always go according to plan. But not having everything figured out doesn’t mean you’re failing. “Honesty hurts when you’re gettin’ older.” 

That “I Just Want To Have Fun” Era

Not every moment of your 20s needs to be about building your future. Sometimes you just want to go out with your friends, take spontaneous trips, stay out too late and make memories you’ll talk about for years. This is the era of saying yes to experiences and enjoying the little moment before life gets even busier. You’re learning that growing up doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun or take every single thing so seriously. Between  the nights out, random adventures, and laughing until your stomach hurts, these are the moments you’ll probably miss the most someday. You might not have everything figured out, but at least you’re making memories along the way. 

The “I Need To Figure Myself Out” Era

At some point, you start realizing that the person you thought you wanted to be might not be who you actually are. Your interests change, your priorities shift, and things that once mattered so much don’t feel as important anymore.bYou might change your style, discover new hobbies, outgrow certain friendships, make new ones, or start spending more time alone. You begin to understand that you’re allowed to change your mind and become someone different from the person you were a few months or even a year ago. This era is about getting comfortable with change, exploring who you are, and realizing that you don’t have to have one permanent version of yourself. 

That “I’m Exactly Where I Need To Be” Era

Eventually, you start giving yourself a little more grace. You realize that everyone is figuring out things at their own pace and there is no perfect timeline for growing up. You become less focused on where you should be and more appreciative of where you are. You might not have your dream job, your dream apartment or your future plans planned out but you’re learning, experiencing life and becoming more comfortable with yourself. You start appreciating the little things and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to have everything figured out. And maybe that’s enough for now. 

You’re only 20-something Once

Your 20s can be confusing, exciting, overwhelming, and beautiful all at the same time. They will be moments when you wish you were older and moments when you wish you can go back. You’ll have days when you feel like you’re doing everything right and others when you feel completely lost. But that’s the reality of growing up. Maybe that’s why SZA’s “20 Something” feels so relatable. It reminds us that we don’t have to rush through this part of our lives just to get to the next ones. We’re allowed to make mistakes, change our minds, outgrow certain versions of ourselves, and take our time. We might be stuck in our 20-Somethings, but there’s something special about this stage of life. So here’s to the friendships that last, the memories we’ll never forget, the mistakes that teach us something, and every version of ourselves along the way. God bless these 20-Something.

• 20 something
• college
• mental health
• women