Typically, when you remind a 19-year-old that they’re soon going to be ending their teenage years, you’re met with exclamations of fear and anxiety which was the case for me until recently. The thought of no longer being a silly little teenager may seem scary, but I’m here to reassure you and share why I can’t wait to turn 20.
Social media is constantly telling us to cherish our teens, that they are the best years of our lives, and that we will miss them once they are over. And yes, I do agree with this in part. I have definitely done so much as a teenager, hit so many milestones and lived through a lot. However, if I’ve already experienced this much before the age of 20, imagine what else I’m going to achieve when I’m in my 20s!
One of the biggest things that I’m anticipating in my 20s is the freedom of being a ‘real’ adult. The freedom that I have felt at uni, but on an even bigger scale. I will have the choice to move wherever in the world and follow whatever career path I want. Sure, I will face setbacks, and I may not be able to live up to my dreams, but I will have so much more flexibility and choice. I have always struggled to thrive in an academic setting, but I find that working is a lot easier for me, providing me with structure and something to pour my passions into. I’m definitely excited to be given the opportunity to flourish doing something that I feel I am genuinely good at.
Socially, turning and entering our 20s can be a time for friendships to flourish. There’s a lack of the pettiness that follows friendships in our teen years, it’s a time for deepening established relationships, as well as expanding our social circles. Being in our 20s and working or travelling provides opportunities to meet and build friendships with a diverse range of people, creating bonds that will stay with us throughout our lives.
As someone bad with change, something I always say to myself is “It’s happening and there is nothing you can do to stop it, so why worry about it?”, and this has been helpful for me to accept the inevitable. I’ve learnt to embrace the prospect of no longer being a teenager by looking at the positives, and reminding myself that I can’t slow down or stop time, so I shouldn’t waste it worrying about a number. Being 20 doesn’t mean that I’m any different than I already am, so why stress about the changes that will happen throughout my next chapter, I already am equipped to deal with them
To me, being in our 20s signifies a new beginning and promises a decade of change and new milestones. It’s when we are taken more seriously as adults, and we are wholly responsible for ourselves. Growing up doesn’t mean that we become any less ourselves, just that we get to develop as people.