Young Adulthood Wasn’t Easy, But It Showed Me Who I Want to Be

I can’t believe that I’ll be in my mid-20s soon. It’s cliché, but I feel like I was 16 yesterday. The years since have passed too quickly!

However, I’ve learned a lot in adulthood and have plenty of advice for young adults who are still trying to figure everything out.

If you’re just entering adulthood, don’t sweat! As an adult, you have more rights, privileges, and responsibilities, but the best part of adulthood is the personal growth that stems from this time in your life. You’ll face challenges, but you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to experience life and discover who you truly are.

My own young adulthood has been a roller coaster.

At 18, I struggled. I didn’t know whether I wanted to pursue college and graduate school or enter the workforce instead. I didn’t particularly enjoy school — it was repetitive. But attending university tempted me because that’s what most people do as young adults.

I felt that I was growing up too quickly. Everyone was telling me to apply for jobs so that I could establish myself, get promotions, and set myself up for a bright future. However, that advice soon got under my skin, and I didn’t know what to do.

I dropped everything and decided to pursue a career as an artist.

I wanted to see how an artistic career would change me as a person.

At 19 years old, I still made ends meet with my creative career.

I didn’t have a traditional job — I found new gigs every day, went to networking events, and lived off of the funds that I saved.

That year, I was adventurous. I was willing to broaden own horizons. Instead of following a plan, I wanted to live spontaneously and see where life would take me.

But that year challenged me too. Many times, I felt like I made the wrong decisions. However, my uncertainty didn’t stop me from following my dreams.

When I turned 20, I began to dive into new hobbies.

I already loved photography, but that year, I discovered that I love writing. Writing allowed me to express my deepest emotions in a way that I never could before. I even wrote for my school newspaper. Writing caused me to reflect on my life, which prompted me to ask myself what I truly wanted to do.

The process of questioning what would fulfill me motivated me. I secured my first film gig, during which I did actors’ makeup. That year was challenging, but I’m proud of my 20-year-old self. It was then that I turned my biggest challenges into opportunities.

But when I turned 21, I noticed that life’s uncertain.

I switched career paths again, entering a program that I didn’t know if I truly wanted to complete. I earned a few gigs teaching art at a local community centre, and also I moved out. I wasn’t the same adventurous person that I had been just a few years earlier. Instead of exploration, I valued stability. I thought that a predictable life would reduce the challenges that I might face.

However, at 22, I learned that stability can’t overcome every challenge.

I received a few terminations, which pushed me to ask myself if I was doing what I wanted. I realized that my new career as a social worker didn’t fulfill me, but I figured that it would be too late to switch careers.

But I returned to the drawing board to figure out which career could make me happy.

At 23, I re-enrolled in university, this time in a business management program. I also joined a writing club and continued to pursue art.

Sometimes I look back at my young adulthood and wonder if I should’ve chosen a more stable path. If I had, then maybe I wouldn’t struggle as much as I do now. But at the same time, I love that I took the time to explore my passions and release my adventurous side. That point in my life helped make me who I am today.

If you’re new to adulthood, remember that you have time to figure out what you want to do. Explore, experiment, and discover who you are — you’ll love the person you become!