Lwoods4's Blog

Why Being In Your 20s Is Awesome
Mar. 22, 2012

By Ryan O’Connell (courtesy of my cousin, Kellie DalPorto)

I know I talk crap on being a twentysomething but I’m only half-kidding. In actuality, there’s no age I’d rather be. (Besides maybe seven years old because they don’t do anything besides eat ice cream and poop themselves. That sounds like an ideal life to be completely honest.)

Being in your twenties is all about discovering which things hurt you and what makes you feel good. You go in blindly, practically pricking yourself with a dull blade, and then you walk out with tougher skin. One day you’ll stop pricking yourself altogether. Maybe. I don’t know. How would I? I’m just a twentysomething, remember?

This is what your twenties are for — to feel and see as much as you can, to take advantage of not being tied down to anything and anyone and to go balls to the wall with everything that you do. You’re a raw nerve. You hate getting upset over little things, about being constantly unraveled by ignored text messages, parents, grades, and friends, but you have to remember something: you don’t know yourself entirely yet. Before the age of 20, you were mostly under your parents care, a reflection of what was going on around you. You didn’t have the option to make your own choices. You were merely living the life someone set out for you. Being in your twenties allows you to start carving out the life you want for yourself. Everything is on your terms now which seems daunting but is actually liberating. For the first time in your life you’re the boss.

It’s important to talk about why your twenties are great because it seems like we spend so much of our time wanting to be somewhere else other than where we are. Think about it. Why the hell are we in such a hurry to live some boring grown up adult life that we saw at a Crate & Barrel? Because once we do get there, we’re stuck for a long time. The novelty’s going to wear off, we’re going to get married and have babies, and everything will be amazing but don’t think for a second that you won’t be nostalgic for this time. Don’t think for a second that you’re not going to miss those nights you spent putting on your make up, changing five million times, drinking wine, smoking cigarettes out your apartment window, and going to some silly party, a party that feels like all the others you’ve been to but still has the right to feel special. You will miss all of this. This is a luxury. It’s going to leave us eventually so you better freaking enjoy it. You better enjoy every lame ass party, every awkward kiss, every 5 AM hangover, every drug experience, every crappy apartment, because one day it will all be gone and you’ll just be left with the pictures and the bruises and nothing else. Youth is fu**ing magic. Don’t you get it? Look at your skin! Touch it. Look at your smooth legs and stomach. Grab it. When you’re older, you’ll want all of this again so bad. You’ll possibly spend so much money to get some semblance of it back. Now it’s yours for free.

We’re not stuck. Even if it feels like we are, it’s not true. We’re the opposite of stuck. As twentysomethings, we’re constantly moving — apartments, relationship, cities, jobs. Anything is possible. People are ready for you. They want to hear what you have to say. They look at you and are curious about what words are going to come out of your mouth. You’re the new generation. What do you have to say? Don’t bite your tongue. One day you’ll be pushed aside for a younger “fresher” perspective so you better get it out now. Make a mark. Make a stain. Make something.

I want to remember the fear, I want to remember the promise, I want to remember the nights I wanted to curl up in a ball, I want to remember the people I’m not supposed to remember, I want to remember not knowing myself, I want to remember the moment I started to feel safe and like this life I’m leading is really mine. I’m going to be scared, I’m going to bruise my knees and not know how they got there, I’m going to try to fruitlessly forge a connection with someone who won’t ever get it, I’m going to lose the person that means the most to me and find my way back to them. I’m going to be a twentysomething because that’s what I am and all I know how to be. And you should too. You should love every single moment of this hot mess of a decade. Chances are you’ll miss it before you even get to say “I’m 30.”

I decided to start taking piano lessons again.  I had my fist one last night!  My mom has been a piano teacher for a long time and taught me when I was younger.  I think it is important to know how to play a musical instrument. Or 2. I also want to get back into guitar.  My mom had me start over from the beginning at Middle C.  It was annoying because I know more about the piano than just where Middle C is.  She had a point, but I hated playing the songs I played when I was about 6 years old.  Gotta start (over) somewhere, I guess.  I have a plan to move quickly and be into the big girl books again very soon. I wish our piano looked like this:

And if I was super into guitar, I might consider this tattoo:

I ordered a tall at Starbucks and got a grande! However, it was my second choice beverage because they finally ran out of  pumpkin spice lattes.  I also got a scone which means someone needs to spend some time on the treadmill tonight!  I am finally going to see The Hunger Games tonight! I can’t wait! I finished At Risk yesterday. It was very sad, but good.  I started Before and After and I wish I could ride the train and read all day! It’s sooo good. Tragedy happened in the first like 5 pages, but its fascinating!

If you put this dog

on this beach with a cooler surfboard

that’s what I want my life to be like! Haha, I think that would be awesome. Is it 5:00 yet?!

I bought 2 dresses for my cousin’s wedding and had another black option. I guess I shouldn’t be looking for dresses anymore, but on my “mental breaks” from work, I browse Pintrest, Asos, and Ideeli.  I found this dress today on Ideeli.

I’m not crazy about the color, though.  Or the price.  It’d be a cute summer party dress.  I pinned it so I can think about it.

I’m really looking forward to mine and Kiersten’s little get away weekend coming up! I’ve been so stressed out lately.. I think a massage, a little time away from home, and some wine will make me feel better.

I heard this on Pandora today:

“Even if I knew what to say to you, it’s just too late to make you stay. I’m sick of fighting this broken fate.”

“Its the last thing I want, but its all that I’ve got.  Its the last thing I need, but I still carry you in my heart.”

Both are from a song called Sun by Daphne Loves Derby. I think I’ll buy it on itunes later.

Today has been such a crazy day, personally and at work.   I just bought a Groupon for kickboxing classes and I am so excited to go.  That’s what kind of day I’m having. I really like the book I’m reading now, At Risk, but its another tough subject.  The little girl who does gymnastics is 11 and had a blood transfusion before they tested blood for diseases.  It takes place in the 1980s and the family just discovered that she has AIDS.  I think I’m finally keeping the bathing suit from Victoria’s Secret! I sent it back so many times because of the wrong size and color that it probably cost me about $60 by now, if not more! I’m meeting the family for dinner.  We’re going to Chef Ping for Chinese.  My mom loves that place.

My cousin got married on Saturday! It was the first wedding in our family.  I’d say it was a big success! As always, I was last minute dress shopping.  I had 3 options the day of the wedding.  I could have worn the black dress with a scalloped neck line from Asos, a red strapless dress that came down to about my knees, or the one I ended up wearing, the blue dress with a cut out over the shoulder.  I think I went with the blue one because of the cut out.  I wore a blue dress to Marie’s wedding, too. I guess I’ll just have to switch it up next time.  Speaking of dresses, the bride’s dress was gorgeous!  She looked so pretty.  Her veil was very pretty, too.  She looked amazing.  The reception was fun! I think my favorite part about weddings is the speech the bride’s father gives.  I like listening to those.  Dancing with my cousins was fun too! There was a photo booth to take pictures in with props and stuff.  Also fun, but hard to fit more than 2 or 3 people in!  I had a few of the pictures they printed out, but I must have left them behind.  I had a good time filling out a mad lib type card about how Mark and Ashley should keep each other happy and silly things like that.  I got a little emotional towards the end of the night, but overall, the wedding was very fun! I made off with 5 pens (they write amazingly!), matches, and 3 big candle holders that served as a centerpiece! Below is a picture of all the girls.  Jen and Jackie (on the ends) were bridesmaids.

On Sunday, I finally saw Cindy! It was good to see her and catch up.  We went to Jamba Juice and Target.  She’s leaving for San Francisco today! I’m jealous. I need a vacation. Or just a move. I finished another book on the train this morning.  It was called Daughter’s Keeper.  I liked it.  It had to do with jail again, though.  Maybe you can’t write a good book anymore without someone having a dark past or going to jail? I’m not sure, but a lot of my books have been about difficult subjects.  I also rented The Pact about a suicide pact that goes wrong. Sweet, can’t wait for that one! I forgot what the next book is about, but I know the little girl does gymnastics. Its called At Risk. I still haven’t seen The Hunger Games movie!  I gotta go see it!

These are just some quotes that put into words a few things that have been on my mind.  There have been some searches for the bottom 2, so I thought I would repost them so you don’t have to dig through my blog to find them.

Progress report: I am missing you to death.  – Fall Out Boy

One of the other assistants has been out all week. I’ve been crazy busy trying to cover my desk and hers! It has also been really inconvenient that I haven’t been feeling well.  I am very thankful it is Friday! I am going to give Starbucks some money to reload my gold card and then I’m getting a pumpkin spice latte! I need to chill out for a minute.  Today would be the perfect day to stay in and watch movies all day since its rainy and gross.  In my former life I would have said stay in and cuddle, but that’s not relevant anymore.  Anyway, I can’t wait to see The Hunger Games! I think Kiersten and I are going to go on Sunday!

I met Katie for dinner last night! I picked her up in Des Plaines and we went to a little Italian place with really good bread in Mount Prospect.  We shared some appetizers and talked for about 2 and a half hours! We talk pretty frequently, but she doesn’t come home very often so it was great to see her!

Life is expensive.  Kiersten and I made reservations to go to The Irish Cottage in Galena in mid April.  I guess the Irish streak continues!  I’m really looking forward to a nice little weekend somewhere else.  My cousin is getting married tomorrow! I still need a dress.  I might wear the black one I ordered from Asos, but it might not be the most family friendly dress.  Its pretty tight.  However,  I might be the only one worrying about that. My mom and sister are wearing black so it would be nice if I could find something else to wear.  I’m thinking purple. If not, the scalloped dress could be my back up. It is a very cool dress.  I’m going shopping tonight so we’ll see how that turns out.  I have to get pictures up from St. Patrick’s Day still!

Last night, I rediscovered how amazing it would be to move to California.  I pictured myself getting a Great Dane puppy and taking pictures of its growth every month, too. I think its funny because so many people are getting engaged and married now that by the time I get said puppy, those people will probably be having babies.  And I won’t.

Haha I found this on Post Secret this week.  Sometimes I feel like this! I said once that what I hate more than women with huge honking diamond rings (because I’m jealous and I want one) and happy people.  Maybe I secretly wish I was one of them too.

Quote time!

The following are all from a book I read by Jodi Picoult called Vanishing Acts. I pretty much wrote down half the book.

It took me a lifetime to realize things didn’t get lost if they didn’t have value – you don’t miss what you don’t care about.

I could tell her from personal experience that when people we love make choices, we don’t always understand them.  But we can go o loving them, just the same.  It isn’t a matter of comprehension. It’s forgiveness.

When you love someone, you want her to have everything she wants.

How do I tell Sophie that sometimes its not strangers who prey on us; its those we love who can do the most harm?

I have learned this lesson over and over doing search and rescue. If you choose to go looking for something, you’d better be ready for whatever it is you find.  Because it may not be what you’ve been expecting.

You cannot hate someone until you know what it might be like to love them.

We do all kinds of things to safeguard ourselves: lie to the people we love; split hairs to justify our actions; take punishment instead of waiting for it to be given to us.

Looking out for yourself sometimes isn’t about you at all.

Maybe knowing where you belong is not equal to knowing who you are.

Eric understands that the world is rarely the way it is supposed to be.  And he knows that, given the chance, we don’t have to wait for someone to make misses of our lives.  We do a good enough job ourselves.

Maybe she believed that because of what I’d been through, I knew that what was expected and what was right are rarely the same set of footsteps.

I realize, suddenly, that everyone is a liar.  Memories are like a still life painted by 10 different student artists: some will be blue based, others red. Recollections are in the eye of the beholder; no 2 held up side by side will ever quite match.

If I learned anything during this trial, its that the only way someone can leave you is if you let them.

—Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts

I have these notepads that say, “I want to do this with you” and then there’s a bunch of boxes that say things like go for a walk, have a picnic, watch a movie, go out to dinner, skip rocks at the lake, I don’t know random cute little things. I wish I could fill one of those out… ok now it is lunch time! and then pumpkin spice latte.

Watch this trailer! It is for The Hunger Games.  It looks SO GOOD! I can’t wait to see it.  I might try to get tickets for Sunday if they aren’t all sold out already!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-dnmF8fbto&feature=player_embedded

I am feeling a little better. I got to go home from work a little early yesterday which was nice. I’ve just been catching up on sleep which seems to be helping.  This morning, I french braided my hair and caught the 7:51! Woo  hooo. I started reading My Daughter’s Keeper.  It’s pretty good so far.  I’m supposed to meet Katie for dinner tonight.  She’s on spring break from school down in Champaign.

I feel like death today.  Here is how I have chosen to remedy my sore throat/ tiredness/ other cold symptoms:

-green tea

-orange mango Naked Juice

-pumpkin spice frappachino

-peach raspberry yogurt parfait

I will also probably have my left over pizza from Citizen for lunch.  If that isn’t going to make someone feel better, I don’t know what is!

Here are the next books on my list of things to read:

The Pact, Jodi Picoult

Before and After, Rosellen Brown

Daughter’s Keeper, Ayelet Waldman

At Risk, Alice Hoffman