The age of twenty-two in all its glory

Entering your twenties can be an exciting and scary time. With college in full swing and the impending stresses of adulthood morphing into a whirlwind of a time period, life can get messy.
Being 20 means that you are far beyond your high school years, and well on your way to becoming an expert at college and/or professional life. However, it also means that you still have not reached the legal drinking age, and you probably still go to your parents with questions about things like meal plans and taxes. Twenty-one. This can be a very exciting time or another uneventful age, depending on how you decide to spend your time.
Focusing on the age of 22 years old, let’s discuss the good and the bad. The stretch from seventeen to twenty one is over, and birthdays from now on become less exciting and more frightening. What is there to look forward to next? Twenty- five? Thirty?
There are many ironies that come with being such an age. A few examples come to mind.
You know you’re 22 when…
– Your friends are getting engaged, but you’re more concerned with meeting class project deadlines.
– Some people have jobs lined up for when they graduate, and you’re just proud to have your next meal lined up.
– You can’t decide if the most stressful thing this week was getting your homework turned in on time, or turning in your house’s rent on time.
– Juggling school, sports and a social life feels more safe than facing post-graduation life.
– Some of your friends are talking about their weddings, while others are talking about graduate school, and you’re just trying to figure out if you’ll have enough toilet paper for your house this week.
– Coffee trumps all other monetary priorities.
– You feel like every birthday from now on just means that you’re old.
– Some people this age have kids and a full time job… I have 10 dollars.
– Some days you have to stay up until 1 a.m., and other nights your bedtime is 9 p.m.
– Dinner frequently consists of cereal and/or chocolate.
– You can act 12 years old one day and 40 years old the next.
– Your parents have more fun than you on the weekends.
– Saving money seems important, but so does ice cream.
– Study locations include your house, the school library, a coffee shop, or the bar.
– Sleep cannot be ignored; our bodies need rest.
Although some of these ironies may seem depressing, it is important to laugh at yourself in this stage of life. Accept not having it all together, and enjoy the humorous moments.
On the bright side, there are many things to look foward to as a 22-year-old as well.

The pros of being 22
– Having no set direction means that there are more options of where to go next.
– You can have fun planning out your future. This doesn’t always have to be stressful.
– You can casually grab a drink with friends, or host a classy wine and cheese night.
– You start to accumulate things of your own, like furniture, kitchenware and house decor.
– You can decorate your living space however you see fit.
– You daily schedule will most likely start to be more consistent after graduating college.

In the end, it is important to remember that you don’t need to have everything figured out yet. You may have friends that have had their whole life planned out since high school. They may know where they are going to graduate school, what their career will be, who they’re going to marry, etc. But if you don’t have any of these things figured
out yet, guess what? There is so much more to experience for yourself. Enjoy putting these pieces of your life together little by little. Embrace the uncertainty and live in the moment. This all may sound cliche, but it is important to hear. Just because you are an adult does not mean that all of a sudden you should know what you’re doing with your life. Circumstances change every day, and so do you. So take each day as you will and don’t worry about those around you and what they’re doing. Become excited about what you have in store and how you are living your own life. Think of your uncertainty as a path to many different options. It’s better to explore than to become stuck or bored. You are only twenty-two once. However, the ages to come do not simply mean you’re getting old. It means entering new and exciting stages of life.