Being Twentysomething

I just read this very interesting article from Thought Catalog entitled, "Why Being In Your 20s Is Awesome." I love every single thing written here because it is so straight-to-the-point and it reminded me so much of my personal experiences. Let me quote some of my favorite lines from the article.

I've always been a segurista ever since before. When I was still a student, if I knew I had an exam, I would review my books and notes not only once, but twice or even thrice, just to make sure I understood everything. I didn't want to be caught off-guard. I've always been prepared. Or so I thought. When college ended in 2010, I suddenly found  myself standing at a crossroads. I didn't know where to go. Should I try out for a corporate job? Should I intern and travel abroad? Should I help my parents' business? Hay, whatever happened to Little Miss Ready?

As I look back at the events that have transpired in my life during the last two years, I am glad that I took the road less travelled. Most of my batchmates chose to immediately work for large corporations in the country, but I opted to go for an internship in the Czech Republic! I took this big leap secretly and hastily. My parents were in fact, among the last people to know, much to their disappointment. They told me that flying to the former communist country of Czechoslovakia was an insane idea! But I was persistent and very bull-headed. I was so excited and every bit as ready "to feel and see as much as [I] can, to take advantage of not being tied down to anything and anyone and to go balls to the wall with everything that [I] do". 

My parents were initially against my European internship because they wanted me to immediately work for a multinational company and consequently map out my career path. But my sentiments back then were exactly the same as the sentiments echoed in the article. "Why the hell are we in such a hurry to live some boring grown up adult life that we saw at a Crate & Barrel? Because once we do get there, we’re stuck for a long time. [Being twentysomething] is going to leave us eventually so you better freaking enjoy it." 

Eventually pursuing my internship in the Czech Republic turned out to be the best decision that I have ever made in my entire life! I decided to let go of my segurista ways and become more spontaneous like sleep in train stations, run away from a ticket controller, enter a gay bar, explore a new city alone and a whole lot more. It was a bit frightening, somewhat exhausting, but definitely fun and life-changing!  

It has been eight months since my internship ended and not a day goes by that I don't miss my adventure-filled year in Europe. Although I feel happy and blessed with the way things are going on right now (I work for an outstanding multinational company and I get to see my family and friends often), a part of me still thirsts for that foolish, impetuous and vagabond lifestyle that I once got accustomed to.

Indeed, what the article mentioned at the very end is true, "[We] should love every single moment of this hot mess of a decade. Chances are [we’ll] miss it before [we] even get to say “I’m 30.”