Approaching 22

Posted on by JarradSaul

I’m in my final full month of life as a 21 year old, and I don’t know how I feel about it. 16 year old Jarrad would’ve thought I’d be a fully fledged adult at this age, but I’m anything from it! I’m in this weird place where I’m torn between shedding my teenage self and emerging into adulthood.

Part of me wants to grow up with a girlfriend, go through my early adulthood with them and effectively settle down. But part of me couldn’t care less about that and I know I don’t need another person to warrant my status as an adult or to verify any idea that a relationship equals success. I’m certainly not desperate for one anyway.

Part of me can’t wait to get stuck into full time employment, save money and get a mortgage. But part of me wants to sack all that off, save a bit of cash and then travel. I’ve got all my life for work, but at the same time others my age are already home owners whilst I’m paying endless dead money in rent.

It’s a weird place to be, approaching 22! I’m going to live by the mantra that adulthood starts at 30, and any decisions and fuck ups I make before then I’ll just not worry about!

Published by JarradSaul

17 thoughts on “Approaching 22”

  1. Pingback: If I Was Making New Year Resolutions Today… – Jarrad Saul

  6. Well, people always hoot and holler about 18. Then it’s 21. Then it’s 30. Ha! I have found everyone was very secretive about their 20s. I would ask women and they would say, Oh wait till your 30s.. but not filling me in on why that was the next “best” age. I never sought experience from any males since it didn’t hit home with me, but let me tell you, get ready for the most interesting years of your life.. possibly lots of self evaluating, experiencing that “in between” enjoying the roller coaster. (I will be 27 in less than 30 days — eek!) I think 22-24 was terrible but I didn’t know what to expect. I think where I went wrong was placing expectations on how I always thought your 20s would be. I lost a lot of amazing time focusing so hard on what not to do, how to be an adult, build a home, what I thought was expected from me, that I did not just enjoy it like I could have. Maybe? I learned a lot off of that curve so for that I am thankful. All in all, It was a whirl wind of feelings. Now I laugh about it all. You experience so much of life, you will just keep living it up! Enjoy it all!! Welcome to the jungle 🙂

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    1. It’s interesting you can look back and see what you think you did wrong, retrospect is a weird one! But as long as you’re happy now I’m sure the other experiences all took you to this place! Thanks!

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  7. Don’t compare yourself to others. I’ll be 24 soon and my friends are all settled down and I’m still floating around. But that’s my life and I’ll live it the way I want to.
    A Happy Birthday in advance from me. 🙆🏽

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  9. Congrats on the impending rollover! You’re definitely asking the right questions, and that’s an enormous first step. A good part of me says it doesn’t matter which path you choose, as long as you remember that there are others you can try if the one you’re on is wearing thin. (I’m on something like my fourth career/life now, and each one has been a greater adventure than the one before)

    My mantra, by the way, appears to be that “adulthood” is five years further on than whatever age I happen to be.

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