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

[NewLion]

Just started uni at the time.

I was 24 and had an almost 1 year old who never slept. I was a lot more tired than I am now 😂

Was 24 had 2 children. Was looking after my dad who had cancer. Made a bad mistake of moving to Durham . My dad came with me. He died whilst there. I moved back to London within 6 months..

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How did it work out after that?

I would have been 24, not long bought my first house, met my first proper girlfriend and was in head over heels love. Came out to my family. Took up an extreme sport. Life was wonderful and I couldn't have been happier. The sport is still in my life, the girlfriend sadly not!

I was training to be a drama teacher. I had found my dream job - I loved it. I really liked my colleagues. My memory of that time was perpetual summer.

I really wanted to meet a husband but unfortunately I was with a guy who got me Alicia Keyes tickets for my birthday, but the tickets hadn’t arrived on my birthday, and then we broke up a week later and he never gave them to me. And I think he should have even though if it had been the other way around - I wouldn’t have!

Oh I was heartbroken, been cheated on and dumped by someone I thought was wonderful and The One. Didn’t think I could have a life without him. Looking back, dearie me, he was a grade A twat. What was I thinking? Hindsight, huh.

How did this work out? I am considering something similar! Can’t quit convince DH yet that it’s financially viable. Wait too long though and the kids have to be in school.

I had 2 Dds within 17 months and l am extremely happy. They mean everything to us .

I had just started my first ‘proper’ job in tbe UK. Prior to that, I had been working abroad. I was young and keen but had a horrible controlling boss who nitpicked at everything I did and sucked all the enthusiasm out of me.

I was 25, grieving for my mum who I'd lost the year before. I was not in a good place emotionally, financially or job wise. Probably in the lowest point of my life. Little did I know, fast forward a couple of years to 27 I then met my lovely husband and things improved in every way possible. And continued to do so!

Your timeline more or less matches mine!

Living with DH planning our wedding.

I had just moved to New York to complete an internship. An extremely formative year of my life.

But how was that half my life ago??!!

I was doing a PGCE, buying my first house, getting married, and dealing with my dad’s terminal cancer. It was a hard year.

Miserable. I was 18, living in a tiny flat with an abusive boyfriend and had just had my first miscarriage. Lost all my friends due to staying with him, massively fallen out with my Sister and my Mum had gone back to alcohol after being a recovering alcoholic for 6 years.

Now happily married to a wonderful woman and we're expecting baby number 4 next month (our first - and last - together, blended family).

I was taking a gap year from life in London (working OS in a seasonal job), because I'd stumbled into a career post-uni that wasn't working for me. I was having a pretty crazy time, partying, drinking, hooking up with people. It was fun at the time, but tbh I was kind of lost and drifting. I didn't know what I wanted or where I wanted to be or what I wanted to do.

I was a professional dancer, working abroad, 2 shows a night and absolutely living my dream! My life is a lot less glamorous nowadays but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Twenty nine. 1997. Married to Mr Wrong and just starting to realise it. Took another three years to get out of it. Not the best time but it's over now! Much improved when I met my now partner.

I was 22. I was living in Heidelberg, Germany. I had two boyfriends at the same time, life was very complicated.

Already split from abusive exH, seriously struggling to make ends meet and teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Oh yes, and last remaining blood relative recently deceased, so I had no family whatsoever. Just 3 cats, whose daily care was the only thing that kept me going really.

I was 22/3. I had just broken up with my waster heroin addict ex-boyfriend. Was just finishing uni. Felt very bored and stuck in my shitty go nowhere hometown.

I wish I could scoop that version of me up and tell her it gets so much better.

Since then, I’ve lived and worked in 4 countries on 4 continents. I got a MSc and then a PhD. I had a 20 year career, then left that due to illness and looking to start a new business once I’m back on my feet. I’ve travelled (left my shitty hometown the year after and truly haven’t been back). I struggled with addiction and now sober. I moved countries, acquired dual citizenship, met Dh and been together 18 years now very happily. I have a beautiful home and a lovely family. If I’d known all this was to come back then when everything felt like it was going nowhere!

I was young, slim, in good health had disposable income and my boobs weren’t swinging around my knees. Aaah good times!

I'd been married to my first husband for four years, and the cracks were already beginning to show if I'd been honest enough with myself to acknowledge it. I was living in a terraced house in West Yorkshire, was a civil servant and had what I thought at the time was a hefty mortgage - £42,000 (!)
I also drank and smoked far too much, which I've really paid a heavy price for in later life.

I too was struggling with infertility with everyone around me seemingly getting pregnant at the drop of a hat. My other half and I had been trying for two years by then and it was another 12 months before I was finally pregnant.

I didn't want anyone to know either so I was very secretive. It was before routine access to online forums where support would have been much appreciated. Not great memories.

I was a few months into my first professional job, feeling very grown up in my next suit and court shoes. I was living back at home post uni and saving for a house. I remember being told prices were high and would start to fall soon, so to hold off buying and stay at home longer. That turned out to be REALLY BAD advice!