18 vs 28

So, I just turned 28 in human years, which means I'm officially allowed to say "back in my day...!" and yell at clouds. My back and knees hurt, I wear my glasses on the tip of my nose and I can no longer down 3 shots of tequila in a row or spend 12 hours dancing to Daddy Yankee's hit of my youth, Gasolina. As I am now old and wise, I decided to compile a brief list of aspects of my life that have greatly been affected by changes in these past ten years, from being a wide-eyed little bird to now being Big Bird.

1 - I was very anxious about everything, especially the future. Anything from "what will I do with my life?" to "What should I have for dinner?" plagued my existence and I could hardly compute. I still have anxiety, as all millennials do, but I've really learned to control it a lot better and not let it consume me. Some situations just aren't worth losing your marbles over and, at some point in your 20s, you'll eventually learn to pick your battles.

2 - I'm no longer a snob. You know those people who think they're smarter than you because they like "real music" or because they dress a certain way or have this or that degree? I was like that when I was young. Now? Fuck if I care. I was one of those irritating arseholes that think only rock music is deserving of being listened to (Jesus, how cringe...!) These days you'll catch me vibing to corny music and I have zero fucks to give.

3 - When I was young, I had this weird idea that countries like the UK and the USA were all the rage and my culture was shitty. Since moving to London, though, I've started to appreciate my country, my origins, my food. I grew up in a Portuguese/Venezuelan household and let me tell ya, whenever I hear anyone speak either Portuguese or Spanish, I feel an urge to go and have a chat, even though I'm introverted.

4 - Growing up in a poor family was frustrating for many reasons, but one of the things that really got to me as a teenager was how many things all my peers seemed to have. When I started working and making money, I really wanted to have a lot of things, even if they weren't very good quality, I just wanted to feel like I had so many things. These days, I'd rather own one pair of good quality boots that last me a good ten years instead of buying new ones from Primark every winter. Fortunately, my financial situation allows me to invest in decent items, which also results in less waste.

5 - I only have one wisdom tooth left. It's okay, Carlos, I'm not gonna let anyone take you away from me.

6 - For some reason, I stopped loving sweets. When I was younger, I could eat an entire chocolate bar in one go, now I feel physically ill after just one slice of cake. Maybe my internal organs are trying to tell me something... On the other hand, I've developed an addiction to Earl Grey tea and good coffee.

So basically, I'm here to tell you that things aren't as hard as you may think. Sure, being an actual adult can be a bore, you have to do taxes and sign a lot of papers but, overall, life does get more bearable. If you're 18 and feeling like a plastic bag drifting through the wind, just know that one day, you'll find the perfect... bin? For you. I guess.