When it comes to life experiences, I think I’ve always been a late bloomer.

I played with dolls for probably too long, didn’t kiss a boy until I was well into grade 10, and lived at home for much longer than most of my friends did. As I approached my late 20s, I didn’t have a serious boyfriend, didn’t own property, and was still hopping on planes with just a few hours notice.

But I had done a lot of living.

And guess what? I don’t regret my perpetual case of ‘Peter Pan syndrome’.

But here’s why I’m totally cool with being a late bloomer in life.

I’ve lived.
I have never owned anything more expensive than a quality bedroom set and limited edition Gucci purse. But I wouldn’t change a thing about how I allocated both my summertime gig bartending fortune and my entry-level dollars. My twenties were filled with globetrotting adventures with some of my favourite people in life. I’ve stayed up all night long during Finland’s summer solstice, partied on the streets of Barcelona during the World Cup, sipped wine in St. Tropez, and done a bucket list glacier cruise in Alaska. For me, it’s always been about experiences over accumulating possessions.

I know what I want in a relationship.
My older friends and cousins warned me that, not too long after 30, I would start to see the first wave of divorces. And, sadly, they were right. Had I married my long-term, early-to-mid twenties boyfriend, I am sure I would have ended up divorced myself. Either that, or we’d both be miserable. The absence of a super serious relationship in my late twenties allowed me to shamelessly date. And with each date, fling, or mini relationship, I’ve learned exactly what I want, what I don’t, and what I am and not willing to deal with in a potential new significant other.

I feel younger.
I am a firm believer that you really are as old as you feel (so, basically, I am 25). I still enjoy a lightness to my day that comes from not having the responsibilities of kids, mortgages, and compromise-filled relationships. If you feel younger, you often look younger than you are too. 

I’m not tied down.
When you don’t have children or a life partner, it’s much easier to say yes to experiences – especially those that arise last minute, like an extra concert ticket, an impromptu road trip, or a quick dinner with an out-of-town friend on a stopover. Saying yes to things results in experiences that you’ll never forget – and you have a lot of fun. Not to mention, I get to experience the best of the city because there isn’t a baby to keep me in at night.

I learn from my friends.
One of the best parts about being among the last of your group of high school or university friends to settle down and become a “grown-up” is that – like having an older sibling – you get to learn from their experiences. For example, I am pretty sure that I could practically plan a wedding in my sleep at this point, and am well aware of what to expect when I do have kids – the cute, bad, ugly, and seriously disgusting (the days of romanticizing having a baby are over).

I got it all out of my system.
Now that I am happy to settle down, I’m ready to do so. Once I find myself immersed in a life of couples’ dinners, nights in, a relationship that’s heading toward super serious, and making financial sacrifices to save for a mortgage, I know I won’t find myself plagued with that suffocating “trapped” feeling because I’ve gotten all of the late nights, spontaneous trips, and late night make-outs out of my system.

I know myself better than I ever have.
Most of us change drastically between our twenties and early thirties – that decade makes a massive difference. Being a late bloomer has allowed more time for things like self-improvement and discovery, to know exactly what I want, and to test out various careers in a way that I wouldn’t have the courage to if I had more financial responsibilities.

Our habits, tendencies, beliefs, and the ability to sit comfortably and confidently in our own skin often don’t become fully developed until our late twenties. Meaning, if you decide to tie the knot when you’re both under the age of 25, odds are your partner isn’t going to be the same person you married 10 years later (hence the divorces).

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with my friends who have the white picket fence, big backyards, and are working on baby #2.

I have nothing but admiration and respect for these people and the way they so gracefully balance work and family life. I definitely have ‘grass is greener’ episodes when it comes to my married friends and their secure, stable lives and cute kids. Frankly, I am sure my lifestyle makes them a little nervous.

But I’ll get to where they are… eventually.

In the meantime, excuse me while I go and do whatever I want to this weekend.

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