None ya.... just kidding. Well, it's a fair question really. And one that I figure most who find this site will want to know the answer to first. I have so many plans and goals, but they all tie back to one motive.
If you ask me to define my biggest motive, it is this: to create community. My entire life I've heard the adage 'If you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine'. I can't be the only one struggling to find community with fellow struggling-to-figure-it-out twenty-somethings. We don't openly share struggles or mistakes for obvious reasons. Embarassingggggggg. But it also eliminates the opportunity to find common bonds with others who might be facing the same issues you are. So how do I create a space to make it safe to be embarrassed? I offer myself up as a sacrifice. I will always out myself before I welcome you to add your two cents. I don't know that this will be able to emulate sunshine the way I hope it will, but the idea of a little more light in the world is worth a shot.
Because y'all, your twenties? That's hard, and if you go it alone, it makes a confusing but exciting time dark. It's your first real go at the balancing act of life. Can you juggle family, friends, career goals, pets, running a home, etc.? Let me tell you, you're about to find out.
I've never been a particularly stellar swimmer, and by that, I mean I suck pretty bad. If you throw me into the deep end without a floaty, will I survive it? Yes, most likely. But will I look like I'm actively drowning the whole way to the edge? As my swim instructing friend will claim, abso-freaking-lutely I will. I'm not sure how much I believe her to be honest..... but I've also never actually seen myself swim, and she's one of those brutally honest people you keep in your life so you get to know these things. While I feel like I look like Ariel from the Little Mermaid bobbing in and out of that water, it probably is safer to assume that when I come up gasping for air it's more like when Aric almost drowned. See? I told you I will out myself before you get a chance to join in. I look like a drowning Disney prince, not the princess. And this is how I see most of us navigating our twenties. We are struggling, but in our minds, because of our best efforts we think that we have everyone else fooled. Um..... wrong. Everyone is watching you struggle and wondering when you'll ask for a floaty.
If you're like me, you're probably too focused on not drowning to look up and notice all the people around you. Or maybe you looked up and didn't see the people you expected to. Maybe your buddies jumped in at the same time and just ended up being faster swimmers. They already seem like they made it to safety at the edge, and you feel like asking for help would hassle them, so you bob on through the deep end.
Listen y'all, I'm not here to get into our psyches, I am so far from a therapist in my personal life that it's funny. But if you identify with any of this, then welcome to an online girl gang meant to be something to serve you (yes, that was cringey, but you figure out what to call this, until then, cringe away girl gang). If you are coming up on, or graduating from your twenties, then sweet- welcome! We are happy to have you too.
Come laugh at me. Shake your head at the dumb things I do while I figure out how to do life. Our twenties have so much potential to be spectacular. We get to choose what we want for dinner. Every. Single. Night. You could literally eat ice cream every day. RIP to my lactose intolerant friends who will learn the hard way this is a bad plan. You want that free puppy someone is giving away on Instagram? What's stopping you? We get to choose our living situation, our job. We get to delegate our time the way we want it delegated. There is so much freedom and so much risk. And it's exhilarating and cool when you have people to share it with. I refuse to stumble through my twenties in the dark. So come find joy with me. I want to stumble through my twenties with grace, humility, and the best of intentions, so come join me in this goal. Let this blog serve as a floaty to you, so that when we get to the edge we can laugh together.
XOXO
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