On turning 25...

Photo: Studio DIY

So I turned 25 a few days ago and the weeks leading up to this birthday have been clouded over by one simple question... Am I having a quarter life crisis?? I didn't even know there was such a thing as a quarter life crisis until mid January. I think it might just be modern day humans that like to over analyse and self-diagnose EVERYTHING!

Anyway, I had a wonderful day and Riaan did a good job at spoiling me and making me feel 'not old'. Also my Facebook and Whatsapp were flooded with birthday wishes, pictures and kind words, it certainly made my first birthday away from home a whole lot easier.

We went out for burgers with friends at GBK on Friday and decided to skip Brighton because the weather was a little crappy so we moved those plans forward to Easter weekend.

So back to the part about turning 25... The thing is, when you're younger you expect to have your shit sorted by this age, you see 25 as OLD!! Hell if this was the 90's I would have had 2 children already! I am so glad times have changed, the only children we see in the near future are those our friends will be having while we explore the world! Don't get me wrong, I love kids and I definitely want a few!

Well, here I am at the tender age of 25 and I don't think I have my shit sorted, sure I'm married (people still find that weird..."But you're so young?" "You should live your life." - I've found my person we'll live our life together, thanks!), we have a house that we are paying off and we have decent jobs, but there are days when I ask myself - Why am I doing this? Why don't I have a bakery/nursery school? Why am I not backpacking across Europe and Asia for a year? We don't know where we want to settle down, or when, but it will all happen in it's own good time. But first for now, we will explore and adventure and live!

In January I stumbled across a list of  "25 signs you're almost 25"...and I realised that they were scarily accurate and they applied to me on almost every level! Well, I know you want to know what they are (you know, just to check!), so here goes:

1. You fantasise about doing something drastic to your hair just to feel alive...
Lets rewind to late October - I dyed my hair...PURPLE! Even I was surprised - I think it was a side effect of discovering the first grey hairs...HAIRS not hair.

2. Or something a little more permanent (AKA ink)
Yip, I've been researching and planning my next tattoo since about August last year, not to mention wanting to have the tattoo I already have spruced up a little.

3. Finding out a celeb is younger than you ruins your entire day.
I'm talking to you Jennifer Lawrence and Lorde.

4. Partying is still fun but a little less spectacular than it once was, and that makes you feel conflicted.
Well this one speaks for itself. Is the hangover really worth it?

5. And you're surprise how excited you get to spend a night in.
Movies and a glass of red wine with no pants (I mean trousers) on? I'm in!

6. For the first time in your life you've thought 'Am I too old to be wearing this?'
The reason I have yet to buy a crop top.

7. You alternate between wanting to take better care of yourself and wanting to revel in the remaining days of your youth.
No comment.

8. You’ve downsized your friend group, and you’re starting to realise the ones who remain are the only ones you needed in the first place.
So true - why did it take so long to realise this?
 
9. You’re seriously considering emptying your bank account on a dream vacation to "find yourself" (whatever the heck that means).
I thought this was normal?

10. You still aren’t 100% sure what an IRA is, and it’s becoming a problem.
Haha I literally had to google what that is...turns out its the same as a RA - I had one of those, but decided it's not worth investing in, look at me being all grown up making investment decisions...

11. You get a weird sense of accomplishment from completing errands.
Hahaha yes, and housework, *pats self on back*.

12. You get blindsided by waves of general existential angst.
 I mean like who doesn't want to leave an impression on the world, make a difference, be remembered?? What was I put on this earth for???

13. Suddenly you find yourself legitimately enjoying your parents’ company. They are (understandably) suspicious of this.
This is so true, give me a cup of coffee/tea and I can chat for days!

14. You belong to one of two groups: people who can’t wait to have babies and people who are horrified by the idea of them.
Yeah I kinda have one foot on either side of the line here...you can't send babies back to where they came from!!

15. Either way, you keep doing mental check-ins: “Is this where I’m supposed to be in my life?”
Every few weeks - "Am I doing the right thing?"/"Should I be doing something else with my life?"

16. You have elaborate fantasies about quitting society and living off the earth in some unknown part of the world.
Like in a log cabin on the side of a lake in a hidden forest, yeah totes!

17. You comfort yourself by thinking you could be rich and famous if given the chance (despite your apparent lack of talent).
Just give me a chance universe, I have talent!!

18. You’ve had to Urban Dictionary teen slang juuust to be sure you knew what it meant.
Bae/Turnt...yip I had to google those!

19. There are more and more celebrities you straight up don’t recognise.
Where did they all come from??

20. Your ambition and your complacency are constantly at war. Should you sign up for a marathon or marathon-watch your favourite show?
Also, am I too scared of looking like an idiot to get out of my comfort zone and do something new? And why are we so scared of the unknown??

21. You find yourself making healthier eating choices…out of fear?
My favourite new food is courgettes, and when did I start caring so much about additives??

22. Sometimes you look in the mirror and think, "This is it. This is the best I’ll ever look."
...Unless I become famous - Yip still holding onto that one!

23. For the first time it really feels like your childhood is over. This is the point of no return. It’s DONEZO.

24. And that is mildly terrifying!

25. But also maybe — just maybe — a little…exciting?

This lead me to conclude that I may, indeed, be having a quarter life crisis...I'm off to buy some hair dye now!