I’m turning 27 today. 27 years around the sun, and it’s quite a special one as I was born on the 27th of the month.
I’m not sure why I have big expectations for this year, but I’ve always thought there’s going to be something really special and significant about turning 27 since it matches the date that I was born in the month of March.
As I type this blog post, I’m sat in a villa in the town of Negombo, Sri Lanka. I’m backpacking through Asia with my boyfriend and couldn’t be happier.
I’ve had the perfect morning – waking up early, reading my kindle outside by the pool, walked to brunch, had a smoothie bowl and am now back at the villa working on content.
I thought it would be good to reflect on things that I’ve learnt, especially now that life looks so different since I quit my job a few weeks ago and am now travelling for six months or so.
27 things I’ve learnt about life in 27 years
1. It’s not that deep
I’m not sure when it happened, but I’m a very relaxed person these days. Well, my boyfriend might disagree, but when it comes to any issues or if anything unexpected/unplanned happens, I always react very calmly and know that it will be ok.
Things are never that deep and it’s usually not worth getting worked up over. I don’t need to raise my cortisol levels for something that really isn’t that deep.
Stay calm, react logically rather than emotionally and you’ll be a more zen person because of it.
2. No one else really cares
You might think quitting your job and moving to the other side of the world is a huge deal. But it’s only a huge deal to you and those closest to you. No one else really cares.
It doesn’t affect their life in the slightest, so why are you worried about what they might think?
3. If it’s meant to happen, it will happen
I’m a firm believer in this. If it’s meant to be, then it will. If you’re meant to get that job, that apartment, that opportunity, then you will.
If not, then it wasn’t for you or it wasn’t the right time. Everything happens for a reason and the reason will present itself sooner or later.
4. See the world
Explore, travel, see new countries and cultures. There’s so much of the world to be seen that you probably won’t ever see all of it. But you should try and see as much of it as possible.
We’re only here once, why not go and see the Taj Mahal, the Sydney Opera House or the Eiffel Tower? Seeing it in a picture isn’t the same as seeing it in real life.
5. Will it matter in five years? If not, stop stressing about it
At school, I used to think everything was life or death. Everything was always so dramatic, the school gossip, who was talking to who, who was sitting with who at lunch, who was seeing who etc.
It was a time of being very self-conscious, being around boys all day every day during your late teens. Embarrassed to read in front of your class or school, to present, to ask a question or in my case, to sing a solo.
Everything seemed so heightened and so drastic, but who was going to remember that time I read a paragraph from a book in five years’ time? Who was going to remember that time I sang a verse of a song in front of the year group?
No one, so why was I so stressed out?
6. A dream job does exist
We’re often told that a dream job doesn’t exist, but I know that it does. You may think I’m a little naive at this age to say so, but I’ve had my fair share of jobs and my most recent job that I just quit was my dream job.
Why would I leave? Because I value travelling and seeing the world over working in a corporate job right now. But I’m glad to know that there are jobs out there that I will wake up every day happy to go to and love what I do. A dream job really does exist.
7. Don’t settle
Don’t accept something you don’t want just for the sake of it. Don’t scramble to get a boyfriend, just because your friends have one. Wait it out, because better things will come along and it will be worth waiting for.
Especially when it comes to relationships, it’s better to know yourself before involving yourself with someone else.
Work out what your values are, what your plans for the future are, what your non-negotiables are, and what you want in a partner. Then you can start the search for a partner that matches your values and plan for the future.
8. Spend money on experiences, not material things
A Chanel handbag might look good on your arm, but when you’re old and grey you might cherish that four day holiday you had in Italy more.
When it comes to presents at birthdays or Christmas, I always love experiences instead of actual things. A meal out with family or friends, a day out at an activity or a night away are more valuable to me than jewellery, clothes or branded items.
Experiences create memories, something a new watch can’t really do.
9. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go home
I’ve been preached at about this since I left home at 18. When I moved to Liverpool, I knew that if I didn’t enjoy it or wanted to move home, then I could. There would be no embarrassment in it – you tried it and didn’t like it, and that’s all there is to it. And at least you tried.
The same went with London and New York. If it wasn’t for me, if I ran out of money, if it wasn’t working out, then I knew I always had a home to go back to in Ireland and there would be no shame in doing so.
Now that I’m travelling Asia, and moving to Australia eventually, I still know that I have a home to go back to in Ireland and that my parents will make sure I can get home.
10. Sometimes the little things are the big things
My perfect day consists of waking up in New York City, grabbing a takeaway coffee and walking around the streets of New York with himself. To me, that’s bliss.
I don’t need a five-star hotel, or to be in the most expensive place in the world with luxury items. I need a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and the sidewalks of New York.
I’ve learnt that expensive things won’t make me happy, but the little things in life will.
11. Try everything (within reason)
How will you know if you don’t like something until you’ve tried it? Try sushi, try a fried scorpion, try Ethiopian food, try a Sri Lankan curry.
Try it once, because you never know what you could be missing out on.
Jumping out of a plane and swimming with sharks? Probably things I won’t be trying. Like I said, within reason.
12. You’ll miss important events but it’s impossible to be everywhere
As I’m travelling around now, I already know I’ll be missing out on weddings, big birthdays, engagement parties, life events, babies being born and more.
But that’s the price I have to pay for being so far away from home. It’s not possible to fly home every time one of these events pop up, plus it wouldn’t be great for my bank balance.
It’s never a happy occasion to miss things like these, but if I want to have the life that I prefer to live – whether that’s in a big city or on a beach – then it’s the price I have to pay.
13. Deeper connections are more important than many connections
As I get older, I drift away from friends. That’s normal, plus I move around from city to city a lot so it’s going to happen.
I have a lot of friends in a lot of places, but I only have a small number of friends that I share everything with and have a deep connection with.
I’d much rather this over having lots of friends that I’m not overly close to. Every girl needs a tight-knit friendship and people she can rely on. Value your close friends and make sure when you get into a relationship that you don’t forget about your friends – you’ll need them.
14. Nashville is the greatest place on earth
Besides New York, Nashville is my favourite place on earth and somewhere I’d highly recommend you visit. That is if you like live music, cowboy boots and southern food.
From morning to late night, Nashville is alive with music, bars and a good time. Plus, every live act in every bar on Broadway will be worthy of a record deal. The talent in Nashville is overflowing, and I don’t think anyone could have a bad time in the city.
Hopefully I’ll retire there some day.
15. If you don’t feel like you belong somewhere, move
As the saying goes, you’re not a tree. I knew I didn’t belong in London and I waited two and a half years before I finally did anything about it.
It can be hard to leave somewhere, especially when you have friends or a job that are keeping you somewhere, but if the place doesn’t feel right and you don’t feel at home, move on.
My feet were never firmly planted in London and I could never see myself being there for the long haul. It was time to go and it was the best decision I could have made, leaving to see more of the world.
16. The world could shut down tomorrow, don’t wait
This one we’ve only recently realised since 2019, but if it can happen once, it’s possible that it could happen again.
When we were living in New York, there was one guy who didn’t really go out, didn’t go on trips to different states because he was ‘waiting for summer’. Little did he know a worldwide pandemic would shut everything down before that summer came along.
I learnt a big lesson from him – don’t wait for summer, and don’t wait full stop. There’ll never be a better time than now.
17. It might feel scary but the big things usually are
I talk about the comfort zone a lot. It’s a place I don’t like to stay in for too long because nothing exciting really happens there.
It’s always terrifying at the beginning before you make a huge move, but it’s most often always worth it. I always use New York as an example in this situation.
I was offered a job in New York, having never been to New York in my life. I was going to fly out to New York City, move into an apartment with strangers and work in the World Trade Centre. Was I crazy?!
At 22 years old, it was terrifying, but am I glad I did it? Of course. It’s always scary, but it’s usually always worth it.
18. Imposter syndrome is real, but everyone’s just winging it
I feel imposter syndrome every day. Who am I to work for this brand? Who am I to do this job? Who am I to write this blog post? Who am I to post about this on social media?
But you soon realise that just about everyone is winging it every day in life. Those at the top levels usually say yes to things they can’t do, but learn as they go in order to climb higher.
No one knows everything, and we can all learn. It’s always hard at the start, but everything gets easier with time. Sometimes you’ve got to pretend you know what you’re doing and soon enough you’ll convince yourself and everyone else that you do.
19. No one cares if you were popular in school once you leave
This is one I’ve realised now that I’m in my twenties. There will be popular girls and boys at school that everyone will worship, want to be friends with, or be afraid of. They’re the ‘IT group’ of the year and life seems easier for them.
But once you leave school and go to university, your popularity in high school no longer matters or defines you. You’ll find your group of people later in life and might even become the popular person in your own way.
Plus, later on in life you’ll realise that the people you used to wish to be like are living a different life to you now that you wouldn’t want. Their path is theirs and yours is yours.
20. Read all the books
I reclaimed my love of reading during lockdown in 2019. After I left primary school, it wasn’t cool to be seen reading. Now though? I read every single day and shout about it from the rooftops.
I love books, bookstores, libraries and anything to do with books. Reading’s cool again, and you’ll never get through all the books in the world, so make sure you read and make sure you read good books.
21. Put yourself out there, we’re all on a floating rock
This one is mostly about social media. I would never be posting on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram on my Orlagh Claire accounts if I lived at home.
I’d be mortified to go into my local Tesco and know that they’ve watched my little voice-over videos or my YouTube vlogs. But now that I’m halfway across the world? It’s like those people don’t exist and I can post whatever I like without feeling embarrassed.
But I’ve realised that we’re all literally on a floating rock in outer space so who really gives a flying f**k if I post a 10 second video on TikTok? Refer to point 2: No one else really cares.
22. Take the leap, you’ll only regret it if you don’t
I could have chickened out of moving to Liverpool for university. I could have chickened out of applying for my job in New York. I could have thought I wasn’t good enough to work for luxury brands in London.
But I didn’t, I took the leap and it’s led me here to this exact moment. If I didn’t move to Liverpool, I probably wouldn’t have moved to London. If I didn’t apply for that job in London, I wouldn’t know that my dream job exists. If I didn’t move to New York, I wouldn’t have met my boyfriend.
Every choice has a path and an outcome. Take the leap, because it will either work out, or it will teach you something about yourself if it doesn’t.
23. You’ll grow out of people, places and things and that’s ok
I might have mentioned it above already, but as you get older, you change. And because of that, the people around you may not align with those changes.
I used to be a party-gal in my university and later school days. Always out at the weekend, always up for a good time and always with a drink in my hand. Now? That couldn’t be farther from the person I am today.
I have a drink once in a blue moon and couldn’t tell you the last time I went clubbing. Because of that, some of my social circles have changed, and that’s ok.
As you grow and get older, you’ll find new people that align with your values and people you connect with at that particular time in your life. It’s natural and it’s unavoidable.
24. There’s more to life than your hometown
My biggest advice to anyone, is to leave your hometown. Even if it’s just for six months or a year, leave.
There is so much outside of your small town that will open you up to new people, new ways of thinking, new cultures and appreciating the world around you.
It’s comfortable to walk down the street and know everyone and have everything be familiar, but you’ll learn so much about yourself and the world if you leave for a while.
It might make you appreciate your hometown all the more, or it might make you realise that there is something else outside of your hometown and that you’d like to stay away a little while longer.
25. Your family won’t be around forever
This is a hard one to realise, but one that I’ve learnt more-so this year in particular. With three deaths in my family within the past 12 months, it’s been a lot of flying back to Ireland and spending more time with my family.
I’m definitely more aware of spending quality time with my family when I do get to go home, which means sitting in the same room as them opposed to hiding myself in my bedroom to sit on my laptop as I used to do as a teenager.
It’s going out for meals, going for walks and chatting to them on the phone when I’m not at home. No one will be around forever, so it’s important you make the most of your time with family if you live away from home.
26. You can always make more money
Money comes and goes. We’ve saved a lot for this trip and it will all be spent on seeing Asia and Australia. To some, it might seem a waste of money but to us it’s worth every penny to see more of the world and to experience new countries and cultures.
We can always work and make more money, earning it back. For us, spending a lot of money on a deposit for a house isn’t high on our list, neither is paying thousands for a wedding.
Everyone has different priorities when it comes to spending money on life experiences and we’re prioritising travelling right now.
27. 27 isn’t old, stop being dramatic
I might be having a quarter-life crisis right now travelling around Asia, but there are many other 27-year-olds (and older) doing the same thing.
Life isn’t over just yet, even though I keep thinking that my thirties and forties are going to be over so quickly since I’m already 27, but that’s an internal crisis I’ll leave for another day.
My hair might be going grey, my limbs less limber than they used to be and I might be starting to get wrinkles around my eyes, but I’m living and I’m living my best life right now which is all I can ask for.
Here’s to a year of happiness, adventure, new experiences, new memories and something exciting and unexpected. Happy birthday to me.
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