I’m officially in my mid-20s!
Turning 25 is apparently a mix of things:
- Frontal lobe developed
- Quarter life crisis supposed to start
- I’m twenty “fine”
- Too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio now
Do I feel this way? Well, let’s find out. I’ll share my highlights and simultaneous lessons, and we’ll decide in the end.
1 – Working as a Lawyer for a Full Year (March to March)
This was also the first year that I worked full-time. I finally got to experience what that life is like. I’ve seen the highs and the lows of this career, and while it doesn’t make life easier, it proves that I can do hard things.
2 – A fun and quick trip to Tasmania (April)
I got to go to Tasmania in April for church, and even though it was interstate (it was only 1 hour and 5 minute flight from Melbourne), I got to experience how even short and quick trips can be just as special as the long and international ones.
3 – Discovering new hobbies
This was also the year I tried multiple new hobbies. As a busy lawyer, it became important for me to have other fun things to do and look forward to (when I’m not travelling lol). I’ve never had this many hobbies in my life lol.
4 – Publishing my book on Amazon FINALLY (May)
I’ve put this off for the longest time because I was afraid of people’s judgments. But once I finally did, I felt so relieved.
You can purchase the book as a Kindle for only $11.99AUD here
5 – Going to Japan with my sister (May-June)
My sister and I went to Japan, and we were all over Tokyo, and even did day trips in Osaka and Kyoto. We made a lot of core memories and have new stories to share.
6 – Work-life balance (June-July: because it got BUSY)
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s my first full year working full-time. That’s why I’ve learned a lot about having work-life balance and navigating work with my personal life.
7 – Always planning something for my lunch breaks
Like what I said above, I’ve been navigating work-life balance, which also includes my lunch breaks! This was where it became important for me to have something to look forward to in my lunch breaks, so my work days can be extra special.
8 – And after work activities too!
This also includes after work because I never liked the idea of falling into the trap of “living for the weekend”. Like no, I’m going to live my life every single day, even if it’s a simple activity after work.
9 – And of course… weekends
Yes, I know I said that I never want to get in the trap of “living for the weekend,” but it doesn’t mean that my weekends can’t be fun. I have also been striving to have weekend plans to look forward to as well and make sure that I never have to do any work (it’s been going well so far).
10 – Appearing in Court (August)
I also got to do stereotypical lawyer stuff this year, which was appearing in court! It is one of those experiences where it’s the most nerve-wracking thing ever (even for the more experienced lawyers), but it’s so valuable to your professional growth. I’ve got to channel my inner Elle Woods!
11 – Going to Europe (September)
I finally went on my dream trip to Europe this year! I’ve been dreaming of going to Europe since I was a teenager. If I’m being honest, going to Europe is the moment where I feel like I’ve “made it” because I was never able to afford this on my own before.
12 – Making more social memories (October-November)
As someone who is highly introverted and keeps to myself, I’ve really pushed myself this year to make more time to be social, whether it’s with friends or going to events. I feel like I’ve been more social than ever before this year, although moving forward, it’s still a work in progress.
13 – Getting out of my comfort zone (October-November)
I’ve spent my whole life getting out of my comfort zone, and this year was no different. From my Japan to Europe trips to appearing in court for the first time, I’ve had my fair share of moments where I’m getting out of my comfort zone, and it feels great every time. (Although in the moment I feel the anxiety rising).
14 – Family time in California and Oregon (December-January)
Not only was I able to spend time with family and relatives in our end-of-year trip, but I got to visit California again and visit Portland, Oregon, for the first time! I have really learned to embrace it because you never know where you’ll get this precious time with everyone again.
15 – Money comes back but time doesn’t… hence why the $$ is spent on travels (all travels in April, May, June, September, December, and January)
I know some people will say that I shouldn’t spend so much money on travelling. But the thing is that money will come back, but my 20s won’t. Plus, I’ve never regretted any of my travels. I don’t regret the memories of navigating Japan with my sister, visiting Europe for the first time, and reuniting with my family and relatives in the USA. I don’t even think about the money spent.
16 – Deciding to go to Seoul, South Korea (January)
My trip to Seoul, South Korea, was initially not on my radar until a month before. It was spontaneous because it was such short notice and planned in a quick period of time. But it turned out to be such a special trip! Even though I don’t watch K-Dramas or listen to KPop, I fell in love with the city in its own special way.
17 – Learning how to navigate busier work days and being a good lawyer (January-March, and really all year)
I’m not saying it was a dream for me to get this busy. However, there was a time when I was job searching, waiting for a job opportunity, and waiting to get a job.
Every time I think about how stressful it is or how overwhelmed I feel, I remember how I was dreaming of being a lawyer and being challenged that way. (Be careful what you wish for – in a nice way lol).
18 – Doing 75 Hard (January – April)
I decided to do 75Hard after my 2 trips, and when I started work. It was definitely a challenge! But surprisingly, I finished the whole thing, and let me say, some of the habits (the diet, workouts, water intake) will remain in my lifestyle.
19 – Being busier than ever before (March)
My birth month was hectic! Especially with the church.
Look, I’m not promoting burnout and filling up your schedule to the T. However, most of the time, it’s good for me to be busy because it helps make my days more meaningful and gives them purpose. Now, I’m not saying that my lazy or rest days aren’t meaningful; they are a necessity to my busy life. The whole point is that I live every day like a day that I am proud of with all aspects of my life (work, church, blog, etc).
20 – “What did I do last weekend? Went to Tasmania” (March)
I got to go to Tasmania again for Church in March. I was initially not going to go, and then 2 weeks before I decided to. Although it was shorter this time (Saturday night to Sunday night), it was still a great little weekend trip.
21 – Baking my own birthday cake (My actual birthday)
Thought it’d be fun to bake a cake for my birthday, but the cake ended up looking like a quarter-life crisis, too lol.
22 – Spontaneously went Skydiving (my actual birthday)
I literally only booked skydiving 2 hours before I went, so it was very spontaneous. I also accidentally made it an every 5-year event (the last time I went skydiving, it was my 20th birthday, so the next time… when I’m 30?)
3 major lessons I learned this year:
23 -I don’t need to have everything figured out to be doing well in life.
I’ll admit that I can be my hardest critic. I’ve been told that from the outlook, I am doing extremely well: I am a lawyer, I travel, and I live a lifestyle that many people dream of. But because I see for myself that I don’t have everything figured out, I don’t see myself as “doing well in life”.
I’ve had to remind myself many times that this is not the case.
24 – Growth is not linear
While my life has been going great this past year, there have been multiple setbacks (mainly emotional). I’ve gone a few steps forward, then multiple steps backwards, and vice versa. And it turns out that it’s okay! Growth isn’t supposed to be linear, and just like life, it is going to go up and down. So I shouldn’t beat myself up about it.
25 – Progress is often invisible until you look back
While growth is not linear, progress still exists. In the moment, there have been times when I am stuck in the same place and not going anywhere. However, when I look back (whether it’s a few months or several months later), it turns out that I was making progress, it was just a little invisible at the time.
And those are my 25th birthday thoughts!
Now, let’s decide:
- Frontal lobe developed – I feel like yes, I’ve gained so many new perspectives over the last year that I never had before.
- Quarter-life crisis supposed to start – While it can feel chaotic at times, I don’t feel like I’ve got a quarter-life crisis at the moment.
- I’m twenty “fine” – Yes 😉
- Too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio now – He was never my type anyway HAHAHA
Stay tuned for next year, but in the meantime, here are my previous ones (been doing these since I was 20!):
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, this is Lauren! I’m a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia.
I failed 8 classes when I was in law school, got 3 High Distinctions in my last semester, and now I’m a lawyer. I know how overwhelming law school can feel.
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