tldr; yeah, i'm broke and living at home at (almost) 28. BUT i'm travelling the world... can you say the same?
We see it everywhere - The advice from anyone older than us... "life is too short". They all say the same things: Shave your head at least once. Ask them out. Make a fool of yourself. Dance like nobody's watching. Compliment a stranger. Travel as much as possible. Wear the off-trend clothes. Rock the bold makeup. Take photos of everything. Leave nothing left unsaid. The world is your oyster.
The list goes on. So why don't we listen to them? It's like in the same way that we've been desensitized to the bad things that happen in the world, we're also desensitized to this positive and carefree advice, and that doesn't really sit right with me.
I'm turning 28 this June. I HARDLY make $20K a year (I'm gonna be gray by the time I'm 30 over this, I promise I'm very, very stressed out about my finances) and here's the kicker... I have a $17K student loan that I'm (obviously) struggling to make payments for. So here I am, living at home (which also very heavily contributes to my soon-greying hair) albeit rent-free, thanks mom - and I have a car half my age that's actively falling apart and rusting that I can't replace or get new parts for. But... I don't go out to eat often, I don't go out partying/drinking/dancing at all, or to the movies/shopping very often... I can't afford to. Where my money does go is into a couple different savings accounts, paying off my credit card, a US dollar account for my travels, and into my student loan.
(get to the point, sasha)
The thing is, life isn't that serious. People don't really care... The internet/social media is a cool place but it's not the end-all-be-all, nor the end of the world. Almost nobody's gonna notice that you were on a 3-week social media break or that you changed your IG feed aesthetic. Nobody's really paying attention, so do what you want to do anyway. Life is too short to give a shit.
I prefer experiences to material items 95% of the time. So I decided, in this 27th year of my life, not to give a shit anymore about what others might think about the things I spend my money on. Money will always come back to me one way or another, but I may not be able to do this shit when I'm 60+, and even if I could... It wouldn't be the same. So I'm gonna boast about it a little bit here and release any shame I have about it as I hit Publish:
I'm going on a 10 day cruise to the Caribbean this year with my oldest friend and her family. We're going to Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas.
I've been to over 55 concerts since I was 7 and a half... 11 of them being in 2022. I'm seeing a handful of concerts this year too, including Ruby Waters this past January, Paramore this summer, and George Strait/Little Big Town/Chris Stapleton later in Nashville.
I'm going out East to see my dad's side of the family for my cousin's wedding this year too.
I'm gong to Costa Rica for 2 weeks next year to visit some family and for a wedding on the other side of the family - combining two trips into one!
I studied in Ireland my whole last year of college. While I was there I travelled all around the country. I also visited Paris twice(!!), London, Belfast, Amsterdam, Krakow, and Barcelona.
I visit Colorado once every two/three years to see my two best friends and their families... and then I take time off to have my best friend come visit me from Colorado the years in between... and those besties may come visit me this year!
Last year I bought a paddle board and a bunch of attachments so that I can be out on the water more often in the summer (still in search of Friends With Boats...)!
AAHHH SO MUCH planned so far and it's only MARCH! And so what? I'm trying to see as much of the world as I can. I see all the live music I can. I visit my out-of-country friends whenever I can. I try to get together with my friends when our day jobs and other social events allow. I've been trying new restaurants, new foods, new drinks, new styles, I got bangs a couple years ago, and I just got layers in my hair for the first time since I was 17 (it was a bad one that scarred me for life lmao but I finally have a hairdresser that I trust again).
---
So, yeah... I may still be living at home at almost-30 with my mom, but I'm doing the things I love to do while I'm able to do it. I'm living these things before I die. Before I get sick. Before I get injured. Before my loved ones die, or I start losing my memory (which runs in the family on both sides), or get married and have kids and a mortgage, or a job that doesn't allow me to travel the way I want to (so I'm slowly putting things together to be self-employed someday soon).
Do what makes you happy. And don't forget to tell people how you feel, especially when it's scary 😉
xx,
Comments