In your 20’s

Written By : Hannah Corbett

I couldn’t help but wonder lately... when did growing up start to feel like growing apart?

In your twenties, there’s this strange shift that happens. One day, you're running around your hometown with the same people you've known since middle school, and the next, you're scrolling through Instagram stories of weddings, babies, and new mortgages. Meanwhile, you're sitting in your new apartment or house, chasing dreams that feel too big for the space you're in, sipping on lattes and wondering if you’re falling behind—or simply falling into place.

But here’s the truth they don’t tell you: becoming distant is normal. Outgrowing people, places, and old versions of yourself? Also normal. Leaving your hometown, even when everyone else seems content staying? Perfectly, beautifully, heartbreakingly normal.

We aren’t meant to stay the same. We aren’t meant to settle for a life we once romanticized in our teenage bedrooms. We’re meant to evolve, to expand, to chase the dreams that keep us up at night. And if that means packing your bags and moving to a city where no one knows your name, so be it. If that means starting over, changing careers, or launching that creative project you've been too scared to share, then what are you waiting for?

And along the way, you’ll meet new people. You’ll make exciting, soul-stirring friendships that feel like home in a way you never expected. Growing a brand new venture is okay. Putting yourself out there, networking, and stepping into unfamiliar spaces is nerve-wracking—but you have to push yourself. Because the people you meet on the other side of your comfort zone might just become the ones who change your life.

I’ve checked off literally all of the above in the last 6 months, and I can so confidently and furiously say I have never been happier. Happiest I’ve been in a long, long time. And it’s all because I pushed myself (very hard) out of my comfort zone. Sure there were days when I was so sure I made the wrong decision. But that wasn’t something I could just change. I couldn’t and wouldn’t go back to my old fulfilling job. I couldn’t pack up a truck again with all my belongings. I was staying in a new place, embracing a new environment, because Im ONLY 25 years old.

The idea of being "left behind" is a myth designed to keep us tethered to comfort zones that no longer fit. Everyone is on their own timeline. Some people find joy in building a life in the place they grew up. Others are meant to wander, to explore, to conquer the impossible. Both are valid. Both are worthy.

So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to go for it—this is it. Book the flight. Start the blog. Write the script. Move to the city. Launch the business. Fall in love. Unapologetically chase whatever sets your soul on fire.

Because at the end of the day, growth isn’t about leaving people behind—it’s about stepping fully into the person you were always meant to become.