The day is here. It’s my birthday. I’m 24 and it’s really not that much different from being 23. It’s still a super weird age when no one knows what’s going on and what you’re supposed to do but you’re doing it anyway, preferably without crying.
When I look at my friends, at the lives they live, I can see an incredible variety.
I have friends the same age as I am who’s at a kid number 2 and I have friends who still live with their parents. Some of them are engaged and planning their wedding. Many of them are married while others jump from relationship to relationship. I have friends at 24 already divorced and friends who never had a relationship. I have friends who still have no idea what they want to do with their life.
There are some that left the country years ago and never looked back. Others don’t intend to leave their hometown. I have a friend who is part of a scientific research team. The other lectures at worldwide medical conferences. The other still works at a fast-food restaurant and another one never had a job. I have friends who are great leaders and I have friends who barely leave the comfort of their home.
I have friends whose kids are old enough to go to school and I have friends who lost their kid by the age of 24. Some of my friends are stuck in a boring dead-end job and some change their life every other year. Sadly, I have friends who didn’t live to see their 24 birthday.
Some of my friends spend Friday nights at different bars and some of them spend their Fridays among kids diapers. Then there are 24 years old friends who travel to different countries every other week and I have no idea where they get the money from. I have friends who spend half of their day at the gym and the other one at some house party and I still have no idea where they get the money from. There are some without any education whatsoever living the dream while the other changed the major like 3 times already.
All of us 24 years old have one thing in common.
We’re trying our best.
The lack of examples, norms, or rules of what 24 should look like gives us all beautiful freedom in doing and being whatever.
No one knows what you should be and what you should have accomplished by this age and if they claim they do they are just full of shit.
The diversity is what makes this age so special, yet so strange.
I’m 24 and it doesn’t feel real at all. It’s like I can’t remember half the things that lead me to where I am now. Suddenly I’m 24 and it’s so awesome.
I started my 23 pretty badly, but I made it through and had a pretty bitchin year. You can find the summary of my 23 in my Dissecting 2019- month by month.
The last time I published Turning 23 and everything I shared in it is still relevant for me.
My birthday wish is to spend my 24 years as naturally as I can. No forcing it. Just doing anything and everything that pleases me at the given moment. Going with the flow. No pressure of following non-existing norms of what should I have accomplished by now. Just enjoying. Just being. God knows we all need it.
My mum likes to remind me she was getting married when she was my age but I am so far away from doing so.
Well, let’s see where this year leads me.
This is such a wonderful post, Natalie! Thank you for sharing. I’m 31 so it’s interesting to try to relate, either by looking back when I was that age, or what this younger generation is like compared to me. Gosh. Diversity for sure.
Happy 24th!
Happy Birthday, from Canada ! 24 is a wonderful age. 🤗
Wishing you many happy returns of the day on your birthday and I hope that you had a wonderful and fun filled day.
No matter what age we are, you are so right inasmuch as we are all doing our best and we are all individuals.
Happy birthday
Happy birthday to you!!! My 24th seems soooooo far away now lol, it’s further away than you are old hahaha…
Just enjoy your life as much as u can, grab life by the horns and shake whatever u can out of it!! This is NOT a practice run, its the one+only chance u get to enjoy it🤗😂
God bless you! xx
Happy Birthday 🙂
happy birthday.🌻
Happy Birthday! And don’t fret you have lots of time to figure things out.
Hope you have a great year.
Happy birthday, Natalia!! I was 24 when I began dating the man I married. It was a good year. I hope yours is, too! 🙂
Happy bday !!!
Happy Birthday Natalia! From a person who has had so many birthdays my family had to call out the fire brigade because all the candles on my cake were a fire hazard…I have to say you seem to have a great outlook on life. Yes we are all different and we can only do our best for ourselves.I hope you have enjoyed your big day!
Now I have to get some of those candles like you have on your cake for my next birthday cake!
Many happy returns of the day dear.May you be blessed with all that you require to live a happy and prosperous life.🌹💐🎀🌺🎶🎼🎁💕
Happy 24th. 🌻
I was working as a jounalist and reporter for a Canadian newsmagazine when I was 24.
Happy Birthday Natalia! At 24 I was married. Not the best situation, and ended up divorced at 29. However, God turns bad situations into good situations and now I am happily married. I hope as you start your 25th year on this earth it is a blessed and happy one! 🎂🎈✨😊
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! Looks like you had a fabulous day! I’m 23, 24 in March & I feel exactly the same. I think the beauty is in our mid 20s is we can be anything we want to be and no one cares, no one judges. Everyone is on their own path and we just have to enjoy it! X
Happy Birthday, have a great day and enjoy your age, as anyone should! <3
Happy birthday!
First of all I wish you a very happy birthday! I found the years between 18 and 28 very confusing indeed.
… you know, marriage is not a MUST. Sometimes friends are better … I got married the first time, because I felt the pressure of age (30), bad mistake … 😉
Such an amazing post. Happy birthday!!! xxx
Happy Birthday!
I remember being 24 and feeling weird about it, all I can say is that it’s your life and you do with it what you want to . Be happy being you above and beyond anything else.
Happy birthday I hope you have a good day 🙂
Happy Birthday! Oh, to be 24 again. 💕
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday -keep posting!
Happy Birthday!
Happy belated birthday.
You have probably never ever contemplated that time is precious and/or that you time on planet Earth might be shorter then you would have wished for? You just don’t at 24! 🙂
But – since you have frequently visited my blog to enjoy some nature photography, I’ll return the favour with a piece of good advice:
Our planet is changing! And it is happening sooner and faster than most people expeted. Think!
The way things are moving, – what would be the ideal situation for YOU for the next 50 years?
Make plan how to get there! Divide the plan into shorter intervals – say 3 years – and make a detailed
plan for the next 3 years – where you want to be and how to get there. What kind of qualifications will you need?
Do you think it sounds a bit boring? Yes, you probably would, but – it will definitely enhance your future
life quality and secure the funding to enjoy it. Today you have the time to execute such a plan, but ‘time’
is always on the move.- regardless how you are using it or not! And if you don’t, one day you’ll wake up and find it is too late. You haven’t any longer got the luxury of choice!
PS! I haven’t seen you around for 2-3 months? Have you stopped blogging?
And by the way (nearly forgot) Happy Birthday! (24 is a wonderful time!)