What did your life look like when you were half your current age?

[OneFancyTealQuail]

I was 16 just done my gcses about to go into six form college

I was not quite 29, planning to move to the UK to live with the man I loved - reader, I married him. Reader, it did not end well. But it all turned out well in the end and I'm still here.

21? Just graduated

I was in university, having an existential crisis.

I was 35 and met my lovely, though now late DH-to-be. Happy days.

22 and living at home. Good job, having the time of my life living for the weekends, going out in a big group of mates and getting absolutely smashed, clubbing in all the big clubs. Great days. Absolute saint now! No drinking or anything else 😜. A great mum to my kids who have no idea about my past! 🤫

I was 30, working in London, my first international job, no dcs, flying all over Europe having a great time.

I had a little cottage in a lovely village and plenty of money coming in.

It seems a very long time ago. 😁

Age 22/23 on a waiting list to have a brain tumour removed after a year of being really unwell, married to my first husband an abusive & controlling man a relationship that completely changed the course of my life for the worse. I’d been planning to leave before my diagnosis but he wasn’t making it easy I eventually left age 25

Was early 20s and was enjoying working and dating (I was a late bloomer). Got my first car around this time too. Good times!

I was worrying about my biological time clock, had yet to meet my DH. I now have 3 biological children, 3 stepchildren who live with us full time....busy and happy!

25, just finishing nursing college. Spent most of my time drinking heavily, self harming and crying in toilets.
Youth was Def wasted on me....much happier now!😄

July 97. After a stint of unemployment I was doing a Level 3 NVQ, which I fondly imagined might make IT employers take a chance on me (it didn't). Still in the depths of bereavement and putting on weight.

Right now I've just finished a Level 3 apprenticeship and on Friday reached the point of being older than my mum. Slowly losing weight.

We were renting, the other side of the estate we're on now. Starting to talk about maybe TTC once H got his next contract and we had some idea of what future plans might be. 2025 we are homeowning empty-nesters and H is officially retired.

Having recently moved areas and pinching the pennies I wasn't following any of my hobbies except reading. Nowadays we share three (one of which we knew nothing about back then). We are also not pinching the pennies.

Hell on earth. I had sold my house and moved to a different town in a different county to live with a man that I had fallen in love with. The day I arrived in his town he showed his true colours. Cue three years of being trapped in my worst nightmare. I lost all my savings, the equity from my house sale, and keeps me under control with violence.

I was 29 mid 1990’s. I had just met DH but he was a mate at this time and we were sort of circling each other tentatively. I was living in a shared house in Birmingham with two other young women. It was very much the pub after work or cocktails in town on a Thursday. Dinner out often and popping down to London to see old school friends every few weeks. Parties in Primrose Hill, lots of wanker banker boys as my mate worked in the city, drinking Bollinger, Camden Market, Notting Hill Carnival and lots of clubbing plus illegal raves. It was all about enjoying yourself.

19 at the end of a gap year, money in my pocket from working for a year, about to go off to uni (first in my family), I was slimmer and prettier than I gave myself credit for, I covered up too much. I dated brooding/deep men in bands (twats) , smoked, drank and could easily get by on a few hours sleep before bouncing back into action without so much as a glimmer of a hang over. I felt like I had the world at my feet.

Early 20's, had bought a 3 bed semi, working full time and studying part time. Living with my not-yet-husband. No kids yet.

Ohhh 17 and a half!

In the full throes of A levels and worrying that I wouldn’t meet the grades I needed to do my degree, and hence chosen career. Was dating my lovely first boyfriend and was generally being a typical teenager re not telling my mother about the drinking at parties. Was also worrying about my horse getting older and what I’d do with her when I went to university.

I did get the grades, and have been doing that career for over a decade now. Boyfriend and I split amicably.
Beloved horse lasted another 13 years after that point- accompanied me throughout said degree and three different jobs after!

Chaotic

So I would be a child again. I guess the differences are I don’t live with my family, have my own place, have completed education and work now.

But weirdly I don’t feel that different to child me. Like I can still remember my thoughts and feelings from back then and generally have the same interests.

I was 25, sharing a flat in London with a friend, dating DH, working hard and with a great social life. Happy days!