I am in my twenties, and I am getting really tired of everyone telling me it’s OK to not try to get my life together. I have been called a wild child, free spirit, and young at heart many times. I want to travel the world and see all kinds of beautiful places..but the last thing I am going to tell you is to drop everything and go travel and explore. Granted, I am all for exploring, but I am also all for having a job in your twenties. I am not even saying that it has to be a good job, as long you’re working for something. I do not want to have to max out credit cards just to go somewhere and not be able to pay them back because I quit my job.

You know what I am for? Working hard in my twenties. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am still having fun; I can just afford to have fun. I have been to music festivals, been to multiple countries (and states); I go to concerts and the weekends, or I am enjoying myself at those beautiful Florida springs you see all over the internet. And I am doing all this while working my butt off in a 9-5 job. I can afford to do all these things, and have a full tank of gas in my car (which we all know is a great feeling).

So travel, as long as you’re not giving up the rest of your life in the process. Now, here is what I mean by that. Sure your twenties are for adventure, mistakes, and changes; but I guarantee that I am still going to be doing all those things the rest of my life but in different ways. But that twenty-something that is going all over the world on maxed out credit cards now? Well, when she is ready to settle down and get her dream job in her thirties, that job is going to go to someone like me who worked harder to get there. Unless she manages to pay off all those cards, she probably won’t have great credit to buy a house either. Frankly, those are things I would like in life. I want to travel yes, but I also want to be able to provide for myself after I travel.

I am not jealous of those people that wonder the country without having a plan. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t look like fun. Because it does. But I also think what I am doing is fun too. Of course, the people that manage to get paid to travel that is a whole different story, you do you travel blogger.

The people I am jealous of are people like my grandparents, or my aunt and uncle. My grandpa worked his whole life and still saw so many places. And he can afford to provide for himself and his family. I am sure he made tons of wrong decisions and tons of mistakes, but where he is now is something I find inspiring. Just this year alone, he’s been traveling the US from Alaska to Michigan. My aunt and uncle have worked extremely hard to get where they are too. They have two beautiful children that they can provide for, and my aunt has even been able to be a stay at home mom now. And guess what they do all the time? Go on tons of cruises. And can afford to put food on the table after instead of living on Ramen noodles until the next pay check. Which face it most of us have done. My family, they didn’t get that way by traveling the world with no job; they worked hard, they made moves.

I am not saying you need to have a 9-5 job and I am not saying that you need to be in your forever career. Even I changed my career path in the past two years. But I am saying that I don’t want to hear anymore about how I don’t need to (try) to have my life together. I like having a plan, and I like having goals about where I want to end up in life. And I like being able to afford the life style I love. It may not be for everyone, but it is for me. I know some of you are probably shaking your head out there, but oh well, you telling me I can be a flake the rest of my life makes me shake my head too.