When we were 15, we would daydream about our golden decade: our twenties. We imagined it as a video montage of Friends, Gossip Girl and Sex and the City scenes playing in slow motion to “We Are Young.” Oh, so young and naïve. How come no one told us that wasn’t how it was going to be? Where’s our video montage?
1.You’ll live in a posh apartment in a trendy city
And fill it with chic furniture with names like RIKTIG ÖGLA and FLÄRDFULL.
Expectation
Reality
2. You’ll have an expensive and full style maturation
Which means no more $2 Forever 21 neon colored tube/top-mini skirt hybrids: a.k.a. a perfectly organized Carrie Bradshaw closet with seamless outfits for every mood and occasion.
Expectation
Reality
3. You’ll live happily ever after with your best friends
You’ll all get your dream jobs in the same city and you’ll share that trendy city apartment, which means never having to find random roommates or subletters off of Craigslist.
Expectation
Reality
4. Gossip and drama won’t exist in the twenties life
Because one morning, all the twentysomething girls in the world will just wake up and decide they will all be nothing but nice to each other until their last day on this earth.
Expectation
Reality
5. There will be a bigger and better-looking selection of eligible fish in the sea
Because your milkshake will bring all the men to the yard.
Expectation
Reality
6. Your social life will be exciting enough for a reality TV show
Legal drinking age means wild clubs, cool bars and sleeping all day before doing it all over again.
Expectation
Reality
7. You’ll get really good at walking in high heels
You’ll own 65 pairs and walk around like Tyra Banks all day, even if you’re just going to the copy room.
Expectation
Reality
8. You’ll enjoy swanky brunches four days a week
You’ll eat croissants, drink mimosas and tell stories about your weekend adventures.
Expectation
Reality
9. Even after paying your bills, you’ll have endless fun money to blow
Aren’t expensive shoes and $10 cocktails what our 20s all about?
Expectation
Reality
10. You’ll finally make your big break
And then “work” will mean writing songs in coffee shops.
Expectation
Reality
11. Ditching the sh*tty car ASAP
As an official adult, you’ll reserve the right to get rid of the rust-bucket Honda you got for your 16th birthday. Car payments? No biggie, your big kid job will take care of those.
Expectation
Reality
12. You’ll get that puppy you always wanted
It's not like you'll be having a kid. They can't be that hard to take care of.
Expectation
Reality
13. You’ll have all the answers to life, liberty and the pursuit of adulthood
Because you will be an old and wise twentysomething.
Expectation
Reality
14. You’ll catch up with old high school friends and things will be just like old times
You were serious when you made that 9th grade promise about being friends forever and ever and ever and ever.
Expectation
Reality
15. Basically, life will be one big sitcom.
*cue video montage*
Expectation
Reality
Sure, it isn’t exactly what we imagined, but even with all of our crushed teenage expectations, our twenties are still substantially amazing. We learn to embrace these realities, because no good story ever starts with, “This one time, when everything in my life went as I had hoped and planned…”