1. That I’ve finished with my undergrad career.
My years of beer pong in frat basements and cuddling on the couch with my roommates watching trashy TV till 3am are sadly over. At 25 those fond memories are still there, but I know that we all grow up and move on after college and I’m glad I did.
2. That I no longer have a curfew.
Like many millennials, I’m back living at home, but my parents (or my roommates as I call them) don’t expect me to be home by a certain time or worry about where I am. But at 25, I’m also usually on the couch fighting sleep at 9:30pm so there isn’t much to worry about.
3. That I have finally realized what a good night’s sleep is worth.
I used to say that I had gone to bed more times at 4am than I had woken up at that time. Being 25 I am starting to see that shift in thinking. As I get up for work each day at 5:30am I’m reminding why staying out all night has started appealing to me much less.
4.That I are making enough money to eat like a real person.
Ramen noodles and hotdogs, too many lean pockets, and ice cream for dinner have become a thing of the past. As my undergrad years ended, my bank account grew, and my metabolism slowed, I’ve started to understand why eating things with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce and something “like chicken” in it wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
5. That I am at least considering living on my own sometime soon.
Living with my parents had come with some pretty great benefits, like home cooked meals and someone who will redo my whites when she realizes they are, ahem, less than white looking (thanks Mom!). But I know that the time will soon come where living on my own will be what makes me happy, and I know that I will be ready when it does.
6.That I actually go to the gym semi-regularly .
Working out in high school meant occasionally not skipping the warmups at track practice. At 25, with the aforementioned slowing metabolism, going to the gym has become at least a semi-regular activity in my life and maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle is sure now a priority.
7.That I’ve figured out who my real friends are.
A favorite quote I’ve seen on multiple social media sites says,”between the ages of 16 and 22 you meet a lot of temporary people.” I couldn’t agree with this quote more. In high school and in college you meet some of the people who will always be there for you and love you, but you also meet people whose real intentions are not quite what you need them to be. By 25, most of those fake friendships have dropped away and what is left are the people who are truly your friends.
8.That I know what I want in a relationship.
My #relationshipgoals are much different at 25 than any time before. Adult relationships require work and understanding and realizing that both parties are busy adult people with their own lives who are coming together because they truly want to. This type of love brings you to your best friend and the person you want by your side through all of the hardships in life not the teenage fantasy love of books and rom-coms.
9.That I have my own opinions about important issues.
I no longer gauge my opinions based on what I see on Facebook or in the news. my opinions about politics, religion, humanitarian issues, and more are based on my own life experiences and understanding of the world I want to live in and no one else's.
10.That I have nice clothes that are not just clothes to wear out.
It used to be that all of my “nice clothes” meant bar clothes or church clothes. Now, I have a working “adult work wardrobe” that I feel confident and proud wearing.
11.That I drive a reliable car now.
My car is one that I bought myself and that, though minor damage has occurred to it, is safe, reliable, and does not give me any anxiety about if or when it will decide to die on me.
12.That I pay my own bills, mostly on time.
Paying bills is the thing that most adults dread the most, and being young and starting my career, I feel no different, but I do pay them and usually remember the days everything needs to be paid so that I can actually have a credit score that doesn’t make me cry.
13.That most of my friends are adults too.
At this age, my friends are also mostly working adults who have left behind their wilder days with mine. They understand that we’re all busy but make the effort to catch up as much as possible and occasionally when we get together remind me of how much fun our old days used to be.
14.That have a skin care routine or at least wash my face before bed.
I have fewer mascara stains on my pillow and post shower raccoon eyes are at an all-time low now that I actually take the time to care about what is or isn’t on my skin.
15.That my mom doesn’t make all of my appointments anymore.
I still occasionally beg her and “call and pretend to be me” but it does happen less now that I’m required to make my appointments and handle my health myself.
16. That it’s normal to receive wedding invitations.
My friends are rapidly coupling up, settling down, and popping the question these days so with every excited Facebook announcement and Instagram post, I know a beautifully addressed envelope with a save the date may be coming my way!
17.And going to baby showers on the weekends are part of my social life.
Gone all the days where baby announcements were met with shock, as I’ve come to an age where I spend much of my time excited in the baby section of Target or pestering couple friends to give me another infant to love.
18.I have succumbed to needing coffee for survival.
Coffee, which used to be a fun and occasional treat full of fun flavors and added sugar, is now a basic survival tool taken with just a little nonfat creamer and sweetener.
19.I filter and appropriately block what goes on my social media.
I’ve realized after cringeworthy looks back on my Timehop and Facebook page how ridiculous it was to make sure all my friends knew I was “totally and completely over school and fake people” every other day and that at 25, it isn’t necessary to share every thought and detail I have.
20.I’m not embarrassed to be friends with my boss or my grandma on Facebook.
At 25, I now am learning to keep super personal information off of my social media sites and use such sites to catch up with friends and to share what I feel appropriate. This means that if my boss or grandma wouldn’t be happy to see or read it, it shouldn’t go on site. And besides, if I’m going to post a selfie, who better than my grandma to tell me I look so beautiful.
21.“Going out” means I’m still probably in bed by 10:30.
Going out used to be one of my favorite past times. Now, at an age where I am starting to finally realize that spending time out has only begun to make me extra tired and extra unhappy with myself, I have learned that while it’s nice to unwind a bit after a long week, anything after 11pm is probably not for the best.
22.I’ve learned to actually get up instead of snoozing my alarm 8 times.
My alarm clock has gone from my worst enemy to my best friend at 25. I no longer need 8 alarms to wake up before 1pm and I truly can no longer get away with rolling out of bed anyway.
23. My best friends and I don’t see each other or talk everyday, but still know we can be there when it’s important.
Friends have become people who I can lean on and know they can lean on me when time gets tough. Friendship at 25 means supporting one another and not letting life get too much in the way, but understanding when it does.
24. I usually don’t have to hold my breath and pray when I swipe my debit card.
At this age, I am so happy when I can swipe a card and not worry about it being rejected. There is nothing I love more than the fact that I feel comfortable with how hard I work and my ability to buy the things I need to without going without other basic necessities.
25. I still don’t feel like an adult at all, but realized that no one ever really does.
If I’ve learned anything at 25 it is the fact that though I think I am adulting, I don’t know if I’ll ever truly feel like I am. I am still making mistakes, questioning myself, and feeling insecure about who I am and the what the future holds. I am still getting hurt and hurting people I love. I am still letting others down. Just because I am adulting, doesn’t mean I am totally sure about anything in my life, but the truth is no one is. It’s the secret truth no adult ever tells us, they don’t really know what they are doing either. There is no point where you have it all figured out. The best we can all do is keep trying and doing our very best to take each lesson as we learn it in stride.
