Lost in My 20s: Welcome to the Second Puberty
I’m moving into my mid-20s, and it’s terrifying. I’m 23 right now—technically still in my early 20s. But in a few months, I’ll be 24. Officially mid-20s. And that feels surreal, because what do you mean I’m not 20 anymore? I was still in uni a few days ago, not dealing with an existential identity crisis or staring at a quarter-life one. I graduated in 2023, finished my post-graduation, and now I’m preparing for the Civil Services. I’m basically unemployed, living with my parents, and slowly learning how the real world works. I feel—and I know—that a lot of us in our twenties are lost, confused, and anxious at the same time. There’s a specific kind of loneliness in your twenties because everyone is at a different place, pace, and path, even when you live in the same city or grew up side by side. Your lives look nothing alike anymore. Some of my friends are still in college or university. Some have graduated and are looking for jobs. Some have jobs and live independently, doing th...
