Ode To My Last Friday In My Twenties

Today is my last Friday in my twenties.

I’ve tried to remember my first Friday in my twenties but I can’t. Probably because I was just a stupid 20 year old doing stupid 20 year old things! Typical.

I do remember that when I turned 20 I felt super old and very unsure what I wanted to “do with my life.” In a moment of uncertainty and searching, I read the book, The Secret, and that was a game changer for me.

Yes, I’m aware that book is very corny and too weird for some, and that’s okay. For me at the time it was perfect. It taught me the power of positive thinking and it was also this book that led me down the rabbit hole of “self help” and “hippy dippy universe” books.

It was also in my 20th year when I met a nice young man named “Chris.”

When I turned 21 it was my senior year of college and I fell in love with my English classes. I switched my focus from “journalism” to “creative writing” and was very excited to tackle the “real world” with my super handy English degree! Oh, the places I’d go!

At age 22 I moved to Kansas City for a very weird job recruiting for a culinary school. It was a very odd job. Had my English degree led me astray? The “real world” wasn’t as fun as sitcoms made it out to be. I never once did a happy hour wearing a black pencil skirt in my strappy stilettos while throwing back $14 Cosmos.

At age 23 I moved to Topeka, Kansas with Chris “because as long as we were together, we could be happy anywhere!” HA. HA. Turns out we couldn’t. Our relationship survived, Topeka did not.
*I am sure Topeka is a fine place, it just was not a good fit for us.*


At age 24 we moved to Chicago on a whim. I didn’t tell anyone at the time, but I was terrified. I was certain I’d be back in Nebraska within a year. Because change is SCARY!

I took this pic of Chris and Harlow while we were driving our UHAUL across the Midwest the day we left Topeka for good. Their boyish smiles almost make me tear up. It’s one of my all time favorites.

At age 25 more changes happened. I got fired, laid off, and left two different jobs at lunch all within this time. This was a hard year. I was lost and mopey and struggled to get out of bed a lot of mornings. One night while I was pity drinking alone I signed up for classes at The Second City. I had no money in my bank account so I put it on my credit card. This would be another one of those “game changer” life things.

At 26 I tried stand up and felt I was destined to be a comic. I signed up for more classes at Second City and also at iO theater. “Studying comedy,” as silly as that sounds, is one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Looking back, I know it’s not the actual comedy classes that changed me, but the people I met. For the first time in my life I jumped outside of my cozy little bubble and befriended people that changed the way I thought about things and how I saw the world. I am forever grateful for this.

When I was 27 I created a t-shirt in hopes of selling it, but more so, in hopes that it would allow me to resist finding a “real job” for at least a few more months. I’d been sliding by on the minimal blog money I was making at the time and was hoping for just a few more months of freedom. Little did I know, I was about to become a full-time t-shirt lady.

This was also the year Chris asked me to marry him. I still giggle when I type this.

At 28 I took my blog and tshirts 100% full time.
I got married when I was 29. It was the best day ever.

At age 29 I also donated more money to help animals than I had in my entire bank account at age 26 (or any other year before.) I don’t mean this to sound braggy, I’m just really proud of it, (which I guess is being braggy, so it is what it is.)

That thing  people say is true, that “one of the great secrets to life is giving back.” I’m glad I was able to learn this in my 20s rather than my 30s. It’s been another game changer. And I probably wouldn’t have figured it out if all the above puzzle pieces hadn’t have come together like they have.

I never had a timeline regarding when I wanted to get married, or have children, or anything like that. However, I did hope to be “super famous” by my ten year high school reunion (according to my middle school diary) and I missed that one. But luckily I didn’t attend my reunion, so maybe I’ll catch it on the 20 year?

What I didn’t mention above is that in my 20s I interviewed for a lot of jobs that I never got. I auditioned for several things and never received a call back. I was rejected more times than I can count, for all types of things. I started a lot of projects and business only to watch them fail. Launched new tshirt designs that tanked. Felt helpless as my good tshirt designs were stolen.

Basically, I fell on my ass time after time after time.

But I know the only reason I’ve found success in the things that I have, is because of all of those failures.

I don’t know what my 30s will bring. Probably more failures. Hopefully more successes. Definitely more sun spots. Probably some new chin hairs. (I pretend they annoy me, but damnit they’re gratifying to pluck, and you’re lying to yourself if you don’t agree with me.)

I hope my thirties bring more blogging. More writing. So many of the cool things I’ve been able to do/opportunities I’ve come across started with this blog and because people like you read it. So thank you! I appreciate you a lot. You allow me to stay home with Harlow every day and for that I am forever grateful.

And now if you’ll excuse me I have to go live this Friday up, I’m still a care free 29 year old today and have to go do care free 29 year old things. (Like take Har to the park.)

Good bye and good luck.