The 20s as I saw it! :-) :-)

There’s this article that’s doing the rounds in ‘my internet world’. I say my internet world because almost everywhere I log in; I see some reference or the other to this. It’s on my Flipboard, my Facebook feed (at least from 6-7 folks), on my reader feeds and of course on Thought Catalog. Where it all started from!! And add to it, the fact that I am at the fag end of my 20s, and also in the middle of doing a series of blog posts on the same subject, this seemed like too good a chance to pass up on.. Also as an aside, I am suffering from a block of not knowing what to write … so kill two birds with one stone I say! ;)

Here is the link to the original article published in Thought Catalog.

And here’s my take on it.

1. Have a roommate you love.

You know, back when I was at my first ever job, I moved into a PG and ended up sharing my room with a whole bunch of girls. I was no stranger to this. Considering the fact that I stayed in a hostel, run by folks who channeled Hitler’s spirit, the PG seemed like a haven really. However, I did meet quite a few interesting characters. One of them of was this girl, W, who soon became a good friend and a close enough one. We did the whole “roommates” stuff – midnight binges, taking care of each other, letting each other in on life stories, etc .. Until the time I was in the PG. After I moved out, of course, as is the case with a lot of my friends, I lost touch with her. Got in touch through Facebook again, only to lose touch again... Seemed like a cycle, and with more pressing matters to attend to, this took to the back-burner. But those were fun times.

2. Have a roommate you hate.

Same PG. Same room. Different gal. S was a character like none. She bought clothes by the dozen, loved dressing up, loved garnering attention, was rude, unbearable and had a high pitched whiny noise that was grating on the ears. Of course, I could be biased here. Things really hit the roof, when she got a friend of hers, exactly like her and with a pea-sized brain to boot who ran away with her boyfriend after getting a registered marriage done. I just wanted to be rid of them and one fine glorious day, that happened too! :-D she just upped and left the room, leaving it free for W to move in ;) :)

3. Fall head over heels for someone who treats you like dirt.

Done. Dusted. I think everyone goes through this. At some point. For some time frame.

4. Let go of someone you’ve been holding onto.

Done. It definitely was hard but not impossible.

5. Have one night you’ll never forget and that you can’t remember.

They say drinking in your 20s is way different than drinking in your 30s or closer to 30s like these days for me. True that is! I am sure most of us have had all had that crazy night where we have gotten piss-drunk and not remembered one single incident but guaranteed that it will be one that you will never ever forget. However, at the end of it, you will realize that one - drinking is not that big a deal as its made out to be and two – you will most certainly learn your limits about how much you can handle and cannot. There will always be that one drink that you know is the threshold. Look out for it and drink sensibly.

6. Make a life changing mistake.

Made it. A big big one!! Bang right in the middle of the 20s. Could have been worse I suppose in retrospect. But what the heck! It happened. It’s over. And I am way over it.

7. Royally piss off your parents.

Yes! Done! Scores of times! But irrespective of whether they are pissed by my decision or whether they agree to it, fully or not, they have always stuck by my and let me have my own way and learn from my mistakes. :) Blessed that way!

8. Date.

Yep. Go out, meet people, have a wide circle, flirt some and enjoy it to the fullest. And always remember, the choice is yours! :-)

9. Go out to dinner by yourself.

Very very true! :). And while you are at it, go for a movie by yourself as well. Nothing is more exhilarating than these once in a while. I do this pretty often. Go to a nice place. Take a book along for company. Pretty awesome feel! :-)

10. Take a huge risk.

Taken and it’s paying off. ;-) Fingers crossed! :)

11. Move.

I did. Of course it was not a part of a plan. It just happened that I ended up in Singapore in 2009. And when I moved here, I didn’t have a job. But I couldn’t sit at home either. So I went out. A lot. In buses. And walks. Learnt the routes. Learnt the places. Hidden roads. Lonesome getaway places. And a few nooks and crannies that are part of my favorite places here. ;-) But now it’s been 4+ years and that itch has started again. Wanderlust is raking its head up.

12. Get a pet.

This is pending. I want to have a doggy at some point of time. 30s probably! :-)

13. Donate your college clothes.

Of this I am glad. I don’t ever want to go back to my college clothes. Nope. Much better off now and much better taste now as well. Even if no one else vouches for it. But I still hold on to a few things from the “college-phase” that i am unable to let go off … you can’t imagine how comfortable these are! :P

14. Figure yourself out.

On a totally selfish note, I am taking my own sweet time with this. Doing what I want, the way I want and at the pace I want. Simple pleasures. :-)

15. Exercise.

To me, that just translates to Dance. ;-)

16. Pig out on junk food.

Did it for so long that I got appendicitis at the end of it. :P Still pig out on junk food from time to time though ;) especially at midnight… food tastes loads better when its midnight-binging!!!

17. Watch the news.

Keep yourself updated on what’s happening around the world at least not to look like an idiot when someone is talking about it. And I mean it. I will let you in on a little secret. I am/was curious by nature. But before I joined for my MBA, I wasn’t too bothered about what was happening around me in the world. I was in a sheltered cocoon and I was happy there. Until I got embarrassed to boot by a classmate… that really kick-started it. And now funnily enough, I crave for information in all forms. Curiosity is now my middle name and asking questions is second nature. I guess somewhere I must really thank him for that push!!

18. Keep your resume updated. Just do it.

You never really know when you might need it. The current job that I have is my third one this year. So best case, be prepared... You don’t really know what opportunity might come in when.. :)

19. Work your ass off.

The lure of your own money, the means to blow it up as you please, and also the taste of the independence that comes along with this …. :-) but keep this in mind! Considering that you are going to be spending more than 1/3^rd of your day at the office, ensure that you enjoy what you are doing!! :P  no point otherwise, spending half your lifetime, at a job that you don’t enjoy and gives you the ulcers.

20. Enjoy it.

This time, this decade… you aren’t ever going to get it back. You will of course have other things to be happy and be thankful for in your teenage and your 30s and 40s etc… but this time, this decade is all about you! YOU YOU and more YOU! So enjoy it. Live it to the fullest.

Have loads of new experiences; learn to revel in the taste and the after-taste of those experiences, so that when you come across them later on in life, you know what you have to do with them! Embrace or steer clear of them! :)

Travel. Widen those horizons. At the risk of sounding preachy and clichéd, nothing gives you a sense and value of the things that you have in your life and things that you may take for granted, when you are shaken out of that comfort zone. Live it up. Rough it out. Trust me, you will enjoy it. You have enough time in the upcoming years to be comfortable and be predictable. This is the time to be impulsive and take chances. Be spontaneous, but also be safe and wise when it comes to taking those chances ;-)

Flirt, fall in love, get your heart broken, break someone’s heart, and learn to differentiate between those voices in the head and the ones from the heart. Listen to the one you feel is right. And always always always go with your gut feeling. If you’re unsure, wait until you are sure about it. You have all the time in the world. It’s your life and you are the master of it.

Experience life to the fullest. Not just in your 20s.

But as long as that thing inside of you keeps pumping life into you… :-)