What was your life like at 23?

System

23 was a bad bad age for me.

It was about a year after my initial breakdown and being diagnosed with Bipolar, i was severely depressed, suicidal, and in a bad relationship. Life revolved around psych appointments and doctors appointments.

I wouldn't like to go back to that age

19lottie82

I had a great time at 23. I had just graduated from Uni and was just working in bars and helping run club nights. Great fun! Was single (ish), living in a flat share, no real responsibilities and out partying every single weekend...good times!

OP I appreciate you feel old, but I think everyone feels old at most points in their life, because, well, you're getting older than you ever have been!

I'm 33 on Friday btw! :-/

jemb

I had just moved in with my now husnad. Had just moved jobs, which turns out I'd just jacked in the company i'm now back at! Lived in a rented flat (now own a 4 bed detached at almost 30) not alot really was going on!

InsideInsurance

23 was the age where things started to change in my life but wouldnt really know it for another year.

Started it living in one city in a reasonable shared flat with the "older woman" phase girlfriend + former uni friends and doing temp work in call centres. Changed cities and moved into a hole of a flat with damp on the walls, no working central heating etc but was the first time without sharing with family or friends.

Started working in claims in insurance, first time looking for a job which had a career path rather than just a pay cheque but ultimately still effectively call centre work as per the last 7-8 years.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

geez my life at 23.... wasn't THAT long ago (ok, 8 years ago)


I was with my ex living in our own house - I was working in a recruitment office and getting a bit fed up with the promises they made. He worked at a computer company. We weren't really getting on and in the late December beforehand had the discussion of "should we break up" - Anyway, things happened and I left my job and got a new job in the February that year, then realised I was 2 months pregnant - me and ex decided we would make things work (they didn't in the end, a few years down the line!) I told the new company I was pregnant and they made my life hell (and if I had a bit about me I would have done something about it!) I then went back into recruitment and stayed their until DD1 was due.


We also moved house (new us, new start type of thing) - and because of my ex and his spending habits we ended up in over £30k debt (that has since been cleared!)


My beloved family dog was put to sleep this year too - I remember the midwife sitting with me the day it happened because I was in a right state and my aunty had also died (I wasn't allowed to travel to her funeral because I was pregnant)


It would also have been the year that they discovered a tumour (Which grew because of the pregnancy hormones) so it wasn't a particular nice time. It put an awful shadow over my pregnancy and I hated the whole 9 months.


If I could - I'd of told myself that it would get better, things happen for a reason and to "man up" - put some money away and get on with it

justme1985

Will be turning 30 next month :eek: so although it wasn't that long ago it feels like it was!

I was in my final year of Uni then so spent the first couple of months of being 23 working hard to try and improve my grades as I had been lazy the previous years!

A few days after my final exam I went round traveling around Europe with my OH for a month.

Moved back in with my parents, moved out and into the OH's parents (after a massive row with my mum about my little brother). Then moved into a grotty flat that my sister was living in with my OH. We slept on a mattress on the floor. Eventually we moved to our own flat that had terrible heating and it was a really cold winter.

I worked with my sister at an insurance firm for a few months before getting my current job, which made me very happy as I hated working at the insurance firm.

166million

Reading about all these people who were and are settled down, owning property, married with kids makes me feel a bit ridiculous.

balletshoes

166million wrote: »

Reading about all these people who were and are settled down, owning property, married with kids makes me feel a bit ridiculous.

why? at 23 I wasn't ready for all of that, it wasn't until much later in my 20s that I "grew up".

fannyanna

166million wrote: »

Reading about all these people who were and are settled down, owning property, married with kids makes me feel a bit ridiculous.

Don't feel ridiculous.

We don't all have to be married with 2.4 children to be the definition of success.

166million

balletshoes wrote: »

why? at 23 I wasn't ready for all of that, it wasn't until much later in my 20s that I "grew up".

lol I'm 34 and I don't imagine I'll ever grow up