If your twenties didn’t feel like a constant state of growth and confusion, would it even be your twenties? Let’s be honest we go from high school and college, where we are surrounded by our friends, clubs, activities, sports, and other families in a place where we know our way around to a completely different life. It’s no wonder once we finish school, jump into a full-time job, and many times move, that we feel so lonely and confused. It’s normal, and it’s okay. In fact, it’d be concerning if it didn’t get to you. It’s an emotional time for all of us, but it's comforting to know it’s normal and that we’re all in the same boat. Linkedin doesn’t always get you a job, networking is draining and stressful, and we all feel like we don’t know enough or aren’t qualified. Sometimes you sit at your job and feel like you don’t have a purpose or feel like you simply aren’t doing enough, but you are. We aren’t machines built to work until we drop to the ground. We have emotions, feelings, hormones, lives, families, and life events that happen to us all. Our friends are moving all over; some are married, some have kids, some moved abroad, some are beginning a completely different journey, and some never got to make it this far. It’s weird, right? The different paths, feeling like you can’t keep up but also kind of loving the change? It’s like, how do we cope? What do we do to feel better in the transition periods or settle our stomach when we realize this is it or that some people never saw the day we get to?

I would say stick together. Smile to others at the store, tell that girl you think her jacket is dope, embrace uniqueness and find things that make you happy, and be more supportive of other people’s journeys; you never know who needs it. As lonely as it is, it’s an amazing time to make friends because many of us do feel like this. Many of us want to make deeper connections, we want good friends, and we want to be surrounded by love, kindness, and happiness. It’s honestly a beautiful time, even if it feels a bit like a roller coaster. There is a lot going on during these years, so use your time to heal and find what makes you happy. Become your own best friend, and fall in love with yourself and the impact you make on the world. Life isn’t a competition, don’t compare yourself to the people on social media, and follow your heart. Life is messy, and we all go through phases, but it’s okay, and again, it’s all normal.

Keep going, don’t lose hope, and know that you are always worth it. Set those boundaries, and know that you only deserve the best, truly. This is your life, you get to make the choices, you get to choose your path, and I think that is part of why it’s so stressful, there isn’t a rule book or preplanned schedule for us to get the perfect job or bring home the perfect person to the family, things just happen, or they don’t happen, or they happen a little later. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it’s just life, it’s just a quarter-life crisis.

Cheers to the unknown, cheers to branching out, and cheers to new experiences. This is life is a good one; focus on what you can control, and surround yourself with those who love you, even if they are far. It’s never too late to start reaching out to people, connecting with those around you, and falling in love with the unpredictability of it all. I don’t have the keys to life, and I don’t know what will happen next either, but I also know nothing is permanent; we aren’t stuck in one place. We are in the driver’s seat of life, we can take control, and we can choose happiness, love, and the idea that tomorrow will bring us closer to our dreams, so keep doing you, and don’t worry, it’s just a quarter-life crisis.