I wanted to avoid the cliché line in the title, but there’s just nothing more fitting for the occasion anymore, is there? I also wanted to avoid any law suits or copyright claims from miss Taylor Swift by not using the actual line, as we all know she’s not a fan of sites using her work for free (remember the Spotify and YouTube drama?).
I don’t know what it is about the age 22, but I don’t think I like it. I’m another year past my teens and another year closer to 30. I get why everyone captions their pictures with ’21+1′ as 22 just sounds… old.
I’m probably being a little over dramatic but I liked being 21. I think I still sounded young. But being 22 means I’m reaching my mid-twenties and makes me feel like I should start saving in a ‘help to buy’ ISA and paying into a pension.
Unfortunately and fortunately, I’m getting older and hopefully wiser and have so much life experiences to come. I didn’t want to write a post about the 22 things I’ve learnt in 22 years as I wrote something similar when I turned 20 and not much has changed since then. My 21st was a lot more glamorous as I was living in London and the celebrations lasted about six weeks.
My 22nd isn’t all bad as I’m currently in Liverpool Airport waiting to board my flight to Dublin where I’ll be spending my birthday with friends and seeing Picture This and Lewis Capaldi in concert tonight (best birthday ever) and spending a few days in one of my favourite cities.
In this post, I’m going to look back at the year I was 21 and also look ahead to the year of being 22 and what it seems to have in store for me.
The year of 21
Looking back, the past 12 months have been pretty crazy. Five of those months were spent in London and the remainder were spent in Liverpool. I must say my life just isn’t anywhere near as exciting as it used to be when I lived in London and I do miss exploring the city every weekend. But I got my social life back when I returned to Liverpool and I wouldn’t change the last seven months for my life in London.
Since my 21st, I was named the UK’s Best PR Student Blogger 2018, have been shortlisted for a UK Blog Award, had the time of my life during my placement and made tons of new memories and friends in Liverpool since coming home. I’ve made it to the last hurdle of final year, been to America and a new place in Europe (Amsterdam) and enjoyed countless trips to Dublin and London.
The year I was 21 will definitely be remembered and I think it was my best year yet with the celebrating, flitting between London and Liverpool and getting through two thirds of final year. It was a big year because it was probably the last stable year of my life where I knew where I was going, what I was doing and what was to come.
I’ve been keeping a journal since I was 16 and only add to it when anything of interest happens and I can tell you that the past year was a very interesting one. But I’ll not post any spoilers before I release my autobiography. (I’m joking, obvs). ((Not about the journal, but the autobiography part)).
The year ahead
I’m not going to lie, I’m very nervous about the next 12 months. I have absolutely no clue where I will be when I’m writing a blog post about turning 23. Will I be in a full-time job? Will I be unemployed? Will I be travelling? Will I be in the UK? Will I be back at home? Will I be somewhere completely new? Who on earth knows? I don’t, and I’m petrified that I don’t know.
At least when I was turning 21, I knew where I would be the following March; in Liverpool, coming to the end of my final year. There was stability and certainty for the next 12 months ahead. Now? I could be absolutely anywhere doing absolutely anything.
However, some things I do know that will be coming up this year are: my graduation (fingers crossed), seeing Fleetwood Mac live in Dublin (big one to tick off the Bucket List), a few more concerts in June and my moving out of Liverpool date in July (starting to well up). But beyond July? Not one plan in place.
There are going to be some major decisions to be made, major life changes and lots of new milestones to be crossed this year. I think I’m ready, but I’m a little apprehensive at what’s to come. I don’t have a plan just yet but I have an idea of where I would like to be and what I would like to be doing.
What I hope to achieve by 23
If I follow Sinead Hegarty’s #SYGOL (Say Your Goals Out Loud) then I would love to be living somewhere completely new when I’m writing this blog post next year. I hope to make new friends, experience new places and have made a lot of personal achievements.
I’m excited for these next 12 months because I have no idea how they’re going to turn out, which also makes me a little nervous too. I just hope they’re good to me and I receive opportunities that I can learn from and that will benefit me.
Here’s to turning 22 in my favourite city with my favourite musicians and my best friends. And here’s to the next 12 months of uncertainty… help!
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