Twelve days of my 20s - Day 1


I’m fast approaching my 30th birthday, and as I reflect on my 20s, I am filled with gratitude, awe, and excitement. My partner D suggested that I document some of the highlights of my past decade in 12 daily posts to this blog, one for each day until I turn 30. My family have mostly been through this process, as I am of middle-aged child status in our wider family. My Aunt cried when she turned 30 (as legend says), so I hope I can avoid this outcome.

My 20s were a time of change and growth, as I expect most people experience. I could not have imagined that my career would be projected so rapidly, or that I would find someone so special to spend my time with. Conversely, I have experienced heartbreak and loss too. Through it all, I have learned many valuable lessons and grown immensely.

One of the most important lessons I learned in my 20s is to be true to yourself. I have learned to create space for my friends and family whilst maintaining the personal privacy I have always craved. One of the best books about creating this space and letting yourself actually live life rather than being a ball of anxiety (as I have been guilty of a lot in my 20s) has been Oliver Burkeman’s “Four Thousand Weeks”. I’ve just been letting things I can’t change go by rather than loading them into my already stressed brain; that work email will wait until tomorrow.

What I can’t forget is how I have moved from being a party-going 20-something, living in Manchester City Centre, to having a more balanced lifestyle and getting back in touch with nature. This is in part thanks to my wonderful partner - and the dog!

With that, I will leave until tomorrow reflection on my experiences in my career, and how I would have never guessed I would be where I am today (isn’t that the best, or possibly the only way to have a career).