When my sister graduated, I naturally found myself handing out advice freely. Now, we’ve had Cookie Cutter Couture for several years now. It, remarkably, has seemingly acted as a time capsule. Woven quietly into the posts are notes of heartbreak, loss, happiness, and success.
I’m 27. I mean, there are 310,000,000+ results when you search “being 27 years old”. BuzzFeed. ThoughtCatalog. They’re all over 27 for being the “weird” year. You know, the year you kind of go… oh. Oh… everyone is married. Oh… people are not just having babies, they’re on their third or fourth round of babies. Oh… people are buying houses. That kind of year.
As my sister continues to come to me for advice, I continually find myself re-evaluating my choices. When I was her age, I had everything planned out perfectly. Every goal, I met. Just, not necessarily in the way I expected it to. However, after college, I found myself in a foreign, albeit unforgiving, field. Suddenly, I didn’t have the answers to everything. I wasn’t the best in my field. In fact, I was in an industry that didn’t understand me. I was… lost.
There is no doubt I’ve grown exponentially in those five years. Renting. Car payments. Investment banking. Half marathons. Learning to cook. Now, I’m learning how to build a house (more to come on that, I promise), learning HTML and CSS and- finally– rediscovering my footing in my career.
Here’s the thing… I didn’t choose a career that came with a road map. Law school. Medical school. Veterinary school. I didn’t come with a predetermined path that guided me and promised me some semblance of hope at the end of the tunnel. I’m sorry, I just won’t sugar coat it. Being creative isn’t easy, easily respected, or easily navigated. You simply remain true to yourself and trust the process.
So to answer my sister’s questions, I don’t regret the path I’ve chosen. While it has certainly been trying and unforeseen, it’s been an adventure in its own right. Sure, I haven’t traveled internationally or done wildly crazy things in the last few years. But… I’ve learned what it’s like to reflect on the last days of your life. I’ve held the hands with those whose family members weren’t there and sang Amazing Grace quietly to calm them. I’ve surprised myself by setting goals and surpassing my expectations, whether it’s installing flooring or running a half marathon.
I might not be married. Have a round of babies. Or even a big house to call home. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing myself, using their accomplishments- all great- as a benchmark for myself. But at the end of the day, I’m going at my own pace. My story is unique and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. My markers of success are simply different.
I’ve made sure I’ve created a chapter I can look back on and go… oh. I’m my own person. So follow your heart and be ready to face the consequences. Some days they’ll be great and revealed in time. Others, well, it’s not always easy. But at the end of the day be true to yourself. You owe yourself that as you pave the way to how you live your life and what story you’ll weave.