9 - started playing trombone, was the first yr i wasn‘t moving around between schools (district lines and stuff are stupid and classist), the jack johnson/curious george song was popping off (other good songs too obv), and spent my days playing on the lawn with my friends and talking to my crush until i got my seat moved. True bliss!
21 - Got to live in seattle for an internship, came back to LA and had my own room and only one roommate(!), was slutting myself out (i wanted to seriously date but the girls i was with didnt want anything serious, so i had to just go with it), going out with friends most of the week, and i had my whole career set up post graduation from undergrad! then covid hit so it went downhill but it allowed me to be more thoughtful about myself and my future
25 - that cortex development went crazy and I finally feel the most together I’ve ever felt. Really leaned into trying out all the hobbies I can to figure out what I like. Have a newfound appreciation for existing and knowing more of what i want from me and my relationships.
Truly can’t wait to keep growing up!
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i was 21 in 2018 - which i feel like was a great year overall.
my boyfriend and i had just started dating, so we spent that whole summer falling in love - he worked at a bar and i would go see him every night and we would hang out there after everyone left until sunrise. those are some of my best memories!
i had bright pink/bleached hair and was in a really confident place in my life - i felt good with my personal style, my body image, my mental health. i was working a barista job that i really enjoyed, and living with my roommates (now best friends!) in the best apartment ever.
i was in the 2nd/3rd year of my bachelor’s and really enjoying my studies and creative projects, got involved with my student climate justice protests, and just really enjoyed the social life of being in university.
looking back today, what i miss most about being 21 is how much i knew myself. i lost a lot of that confidence over the years and i often look back to that time as a marker of where i would like to get back. i was just better at having fun - and i think that’s exactly was 21 is for.
take risks! trust your intuition! have FUN!
Jun 11, 2024
First of all, smartphone cameras are amazing. I just scrolled back in my photos app and was able to put all my memories in proper order. Second of all, I was, and mostly remain, a massive square so 21 was rather tame for me.
Exhibit A: the birthday. I was in L.A. for a semester of film studies. My roommates took me to this Mexican restaurant famous for its massive burritos (featured-on-a-tv-show size) and they told the servers it was my 21st and they brought me a double-shot of tequila which I shared with everyone at the table instead of shooting it. I hadn't had spirits before so I was being cautious.
Going into 21 I thought I would be doing a lot of leading and teaching for some inane reason. But I ended up learning, listening, and having a lot of new experiences.
In L.A., I wrote my first feature-length screenplay. I read a lot of screenplays—script coverage for Bold Films (producers of Drive mouse)—notably an early version of Arrival (2016). I was director of photography for a student short film. I went to my first concert and it happened to be my all time favorite band which is crazy because they're not well know in the States because they are based in Australia.
During this time, I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere (common for a TCK). Like I inhabited the space between social groups but wasn't truly part of any. I remember expressing this to capyboppy on a phone call (I was still in L.A. and she was back at our college) and said that I didn't think anybody thought of or missed me. She said I was dumb and wrong. And she was right.
Back at college, I directed my own short film and won big at our student film festival. I conned my way into a stage directing class in the theater department (I was in the journalism department and didn't have the perquisites). This, paired with an art class that was all about process and iteration and visual design, lead to big revelations about art for me. The terms and tools differ, but every medium has the same goal: communication.
I won a PS Vita on twitter 🤷♂️
Finally, I got to visit Thailand in the summer and show my home to a bunch of friends. Then hang out with my family before the next semester started. And a precocious baby elephant ate my fitness tracker (pictured below).
I had a lot of opportunities that year, and I'm thankful that I was open. And able to fully experience them. And I'm thankful I've only grown more open since then.
Jun 11, 2024
🔄
to preface, i actually know a lot of people who had an amazing time being 21! i think most of the lows were due to poor decision-making and bad luck in my love life which can happen at any age 🙈 at the same time i still hosted and attended a lot of cool events and parties; i tried new things and made some amazing friends; i lived on my own for the first time that summer and had a few cool academic accomplishments! so despite the trauma and heartbreak lol, i learned SO so much about myself and the world which i am grateful for. ❤️🩹
also, what i do think is a common experience for many 21 year olds is having a lot of growth through that year, which is never a bad thing!
Jun 11, 2024
Top Recs from @gab
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On letterboxd. Like how do you rate the Virgin Suicides or Killer of the Flower Moon?! So heavy and devastating!
Fully sticking to just saying whether i like a movie or not going forward!
Feb 21, 2024
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Trying out new stuff and getting really into it is tight! Go to a pottery class, teach yourself how to draw, sign up for a race, mod an old ipod!
Jan 25, 2024