What sort of year did you have at 23 or 24 years old?

That was indeed a year of ups and downs. Pretty much fresh out of college I was scrambling to find traction with steady employment bouncing around from being a house painter, videographer and delivery man for a friends fledgling business. I had to navigate the heartbreak of the break up with my college sweetheart. I also started the first of 2 businesses that year and met my first wife that summer. Indeed letting go of the safety net of childhood and taking ownership of being an adult is a major transition.

I am not positive but I believe it was around 364 or 365 days.

On a more serious note, I don’t recall any one outstanding incident. By that time I had adjusted to married life, had been working in a job (not in my chosen field of study) for 3 years and burnout was still about two years away; as were kids. I had gotten over having to go visit friends back in my old college town every weekend and was spending my free weekends caving or riding my dirt bike, serious and thoughtful discussions were usually held around a campfire but for the life of me I cannot tell you what we talked about. I had a bank account that I regularly deposited money in to be able to withdraw it to pay my insurance and home mortgage. Pretty much what I do now except for the caving and dirt bike.

I was in a really dark place. Left college, got divorced and had to move. But if it got me here where I am now I guess it was all worth it.

That’s my actual perception of life – if I’m happy about it atm, it was all worth it this far.

My husband and I had been married for two years. We had a toddler and another child on the way and we had to move when I was 8 months pregnant. It wasn’t easy.

I was just married and still enjoying the honeymoon stage. I had a great job – engineer for a large corporation – and was arranging the purchase of our first home.
Kids did not arrive until 3–4 years later.
It was a great time.

I had been married for two years, my son was one, and we lost our house. So, not the best year ever.

I was still in College and doing my weekend a month. Because I was a bit older than my peer group I bought a lot of proxy beverages. I got laid a lot more than after I graduated, but that is normal I think.

I’m 24 now and my life is going pretty well. I do want some change, however: I am living in a place that’s very expensive and it’s draining my money quickly. I intend to move somewhere more affordable, even if it’s less “hip”. (All my friends are living in San Francisco and paying $3000 a month for rent, but I’m just not down for that). But if that’s the largest complaint I have, I’d say things are going pretty well. 22 was worse because I was out of college and not quite sure what I wanted to do yet.

All I can say for sure is, there was a lot of sex.

Crappy.

Over that two years, I got married. I moved countries. I got pregnant. Lost my dad.

We struggled financially. I found it hard to find work (for the first time ever) when we moved countries. Getting pregnant was unexpected and my ex didn’t handle the idea well. My dad dying was the pits. So yes, now that I think about it, it was a tumultuous time.

I don’t remember. I was drunk. For the whole year, you ask? Yes. I’m a recovered alcoholic.

Ugh.

It was probably better than I thought it was at the time. I wouldn’t mind having a do-over.

At 23 I had just gotten out of school and started my career. I felt like I had money for the first time in my adult life. I had also started to clean house. I swore off women for a few years and I also kind of stopped hanging around my regular group of friends who were becoming quite toxic (all we actually had in common was drinking). The next five years were the most productive and happy in my life.