The dreaded 25th year

Happy Thursday everyone! Are you excited for the up coming weekend? I most certainly am!

Well, I guess I should just jump in here, huh?

Another birthday, another year. The dreaded 25th. 

Turning 16 was a big deal because your parents gave you more responsibility, you could get a job and most of you started driving. 18 was a big year because you were technically an "adult", could go to the clubs (when that was fun to do) and you were headed off to college. Then there was 21 when you could legally drink and your parents still didn't think you were an adult! Although, I am convinced they will never really see you as one until you have children yourself.

As of tomorrow at 3:15am I will no longer be able to say I am in my "early 20's". I will be in my "mid to late 20s". That in itself is a scary thought. Is it as bad as everyone says? Or scary? Is it the year where you actually have to start really growing up? Or will everything stay the same and I am just worrying?! 

Why is it that once we hit (or nearly hit) 25 that we start analyzing everything we do? Where we live. What our job is. Why am I not married? Why don't I have kids? Why, why, why? There are some things I am still questioning, as I rightfully should, and some things I have figured out so far.

Your parents can actually be cool:

I may struggle with this for a while, but I do feel as though I have gotten closer to my mom as I am getting older. There were days when I was younger where I felt like I couldn't say certain things to her. Or swear in front of her for fear of Dawn dish detergent being gargled in my mouth.  Now? Not as much. We understand each other more. We can have intellectual conversations, as well as silly ones. I can say the word "penis" in front of her and she doesn't slap my arm anymore. Not that I say that word a lot. Haha.

It is okay to not be married:

And it is okay to be single. When I was 18 I definitely thought that I would have been married by the age of 25. Now that I am almost 25, I am really glad that I am not. I am not saying that I never want to get married, I just wouldn't want to be married right now. And that is okay. I know many people who are already married that are 25 or younger, and I am not hating on that. They have found their "one", while I'm still testing the waters. And again, that is okay in my book. 

It is okay to not have a child:

And it is okay to have one. Being 25 and not having a child it still okay to me. Like with the marriage thing, I thought I would have had a child by now. Thinking about that now, I am definitely not ready. That may sound selfish of me, and so be it, but I am just not ready. Many can say that you are technically never ready to have kids, which I agree with, but I just don't want them right now. I still enjoy my girls night martinis and wine pajama parties. I enjoy doing what I want, on my own time. And call me old fashion but I wouldn't even consider having a child without being married first. All of this is still okay.

It is okay to have a job and not a career:

I thought I was going to be an RN by now, but that is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I work for a wonderful company right now, which I love, and I am okay with that. It is okay to be 25 and still be unsure what you want to be when you grow up. With the economy the way it is, it is even more acceptable. I am more than happy with the job that I have now, and I will continue with it until I realize what I want to do for the rest of my life, if I ever do. I am still figuring that out!

At what age do you stop getting tattoos:

This is one of those things I am still working on. I have been wanting more tattoos, but is 25 still a reasonable age to be spending money on them? Do I just say no and be happy with the ones I already have? Not that I am not happy with them, I just would have liked to add more to them. But, I definitely have much more important things to save my money for.

 

 At what age do you take your piercings out:

I have had many piercings along the way including my nose, tongue and ear cartilage, but took those out almost 2 years ago. I definitely don't plan on getting anymore piercings. I do, however, still have my belly button piercing in that I had done when I was 16. What would be an acceptable age to take that out? This is something I have been struggling with the past year. This piercing is no longer the "it" thing for me, but I have had it for almost 10 years and thus have become attached to it. Actually, most of the time I forget I even have it!

I have heard meany women say "when I have my first child" or "when I turn 30". I don't plan on having a child anytime soon, and 30 is still 5 years away. I'm not even sure that the hole will close up. I wouldn't want to take it out and the hole close up, and then regret it. I do have a fit stomach, so it's not about how it looks. It's more about how I want portray myself. A belly button piercing is easily hidden in the winter months, but with summer coming up it is harder, esp when you live in a bathing suit.

It is okay to not even know where this blog post is headed:
I'm not really sure I know what I am saying right now. I'm not even sure that this post will have a point to it. All I know is that I am currently happy with the way my life is going, and the things that I'm not so happy about I am working on changing. I am grateful to be alive. I am grateful to have family and friends who love and support me. I am grateful for all the new things that are entering my life! Today I am 24, loving the moment. Tomorrow may be a different story, but we will see how it goes!

Wish me luck!

Until next time!

XOXO
Shawna
  

Update 3/27/13: The belly button ring has since been decommissioned. I was looking at some of my before workout photos, and I figured since I had started on a new healthy path that many things needed to change. That did include the ring being taken out. I will say that it is much easier to shower without it as my loofah doesn't get caught on it anymore! :)