My friends and I went on a trip to San Francisco recently, and as my friends in the car were looking up houses on Zillow, I felt a pit growing in my stomach. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at houses that I’ll never be able to afford on Zillow too, but seeing them get excited over home amenities genuinely scared me because it came with the realization that we’re growing up. Our interests are changing, and it’s unsettling to me. Things that were acceptable in my teenage years are becoming questionable to me now. Am I still allowed to use Snapchat as a 20-year-old? Can I still yell at passerby from my balcony? Is it okay for me to be an obnoxious public menace with my friends?
I have a fear of getting old, becoming a shriveled sack of bones incapable of contributing to society. Okay, that’s a little harsh, but you get the idea—I’m genuinely frightened of not being considered a part of the youth. The pandemic, especially, has put this thought into perspective for me, since I’ve essentially lost “a year of my youth,” a year that would have been considered one of “the best years of my life.” It’s made me hyper-aware of the opportunities I currently have, pushing me to embrace this period of my life. So with this information, I did what any person of my generation would do and looked up what this means. It turns out I am having a “quarter-life crisis.” So here’s how I am deciding to face my quarter-life crisis. Follow this advice at your own discretion.
Make a chanGE
Dye your hair or get a tattoo—just embrace this period of chaos that is youth. We aren’t old yet, so live in the moment and take advantage of what is currently in front of you. Live freely and recklessly, because every “mistake” creates a story and an opportunity for memories. I tried going full blonde once… and it did not work for me, to say the least, but looking back with friends and laughing at how bad it looked is one of my favorite pastimes.
Get moving
(Cue the “get up and play an hour a day” commercial from letsmove.gov). As we age, our health gradually declines. It’s simply a biological fact of life that our cells are deteriorating day by day, so take advantage of the health you have. Go climb a mountain, run a marathon, or just go places in general. When you are old, physical limitations become an obstacle. If you’re in good health now, cherish and embrace it, because not all young people are fortunate enough to say the same.
Learn something new
Take up a new hobby, learn a language, become a sponge. The world is your oyster, and there is nothing you can’t do. Make sure to remind yourself of that because it’s easy to forget sometimes. Who knows what could happen if you invest time into yourself? Learning a new language gives you the opportunity to move to a new country, and maybe you’ll meet the love of your life. Or you could get robbed. But you could also find enlightenment. It could be terrible or amazing, but you’ll only know if you give it a shot. This is your time to explore and make mistakes.
Sure, I could assume the mentality that each day is one step closer to death—or I could instead realize that each day is an opportunity to live spontaneously, follow my passions, and love the people in my life. Easier said than done, but I am working towards embracing the latter, and I hope you are too!