11 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Turned 25

1. As your birthday encroaches, people will tell you, "Age is nothing but a number." And they will be right. You won't listen because you'll be too busy panicking, but they're right. When you wake up on your second day of being 25, you're still going to feel as much of a Hot-Mess-Yet-Mostly-Put-Together-Grown-Ass-Woman as you did when you were 24 years and 364 days old.​

2. There's nothing wrong with a little panic though. Each one of my 25-year-old friends has had the aforementioned meltdown. Once they've finished sorting through the whole "What is life? What does it all even mean?" of it all, they've used the birthday as a benchmark, making literal lists of what they want to accomplish that they haven't yet. Fear is the biggest motivator, guys. Donald Trump or someone said that.​

​3. Thirty is no closer to you now than 25 was five years ago. ​Did you cry on your 20th birthday about being five years away from 25? Of course you didn't. Why're you gonna cry about 30 now? 

4. ​You won't suddenly flip some "Age Faster" switch. ​Your hangovers will be no worse at 25 than they were at 24, you won't all of a sudden have neck wrinkles,​ and your four gray hairs won't multiply immediately. And so what if they do? Gray hair is so hot RN.

5. You don't have to stop asking your mom if everything's going to be OK. Maturity is for old people. You're not old yet, remember? ​

6. ​Your BFFs start to find their people. ​They're going to start talking about weddings and babies and suburbia. It's simultaneously wonderful and weird. 

7. ​Your BFFs will start to move away.  After spending a few years as the lowest person on the office totem poll, it's easy to feel like you're wasting your 20s away in a cubicle. ​When else in your life are you going to have the opportunity to move to China or Nevada to fulfill your dreams of becoming an Instagram-famous worldly woman? Or do anything that isn't monotonous and internet-filled? Becky and Amanda will do exactly that and it'll be harder to keep in touch with them than you think.

8. ​You'll have fewer BFFs regardless. ​The post-college diaspora was great for getting rid of some people you knew weren't good for you, but the older you get, the more you realize it takes effort to stay close with the people who actually matter. Let the "meh" friends fade. By this point, you know who your ~forever friends~ are.

9. Just because you haven't found your person or your dream job doesn't mean you are "behind." ​The fact that Jessie has a house and a husband now might truly astound you, but repeat after me: That ?​ wasn't ?​ your ?​ goal ?​ anyway. Good for Jessie! You hit 10,000 steps four times last week and are successfully keeping succulents alive. You're checking your own boxes and that's what matters.

10. "I can rent a car now!" will never sound as cool as "I'm legal, bitches!" ​​Only four people are gonna like your hilarious status about coming of car-rental age, so let's all agree to post, "​Fuck ​yeah, I made it to 25," instead. Way cooler!

11. You will never need to rent a car. ​​I know it was the only joke we quarter-lifers had, but it's going to be, like, three more years before a situation arises where you'll need one. Whatever! You can still drink alcohol legally.

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