It's a funny old thing

Being twenty-something, reading lots and in the meantime ...

First of all, a bit of housekeeping

I’m surprised I have any readers left, having neglected you all for so many weeks. However, I’m still adjusting to my new normal, and figuring out how to balance my 9-5 and freelance work with the trials and tribulations of being a twenty-something. I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep, so I’m not going to commit to posting at the same time every week, but I will make more effort to post on a more frequent basis.

With hindsight, re-branding to Wins and Wicks with Maggie John was somewhat of a rash decision, and I’m not sure I’m going to stick super closely to its structure, for now at least. I want to write about whatever, whenever.

Of course, if I see a man walking down the street without his top on, I will probably end up writing about how much of a wick it is because I will never change.

Finally, if you haven’t unsubscribed yet, thank you very much! It’s nice to know that people do read these sometimes, and if you enjoy them, please ask your friends and their friends and their friends’ friends to subscribe - although I’m probably starting to push my luck.

Twenty-something-ness

An unrelated, but quite nice, picture of boats

The last thing the world needs is another London-based twenty-something talking about the minefield of being a twenty-something.

But, the constant tug-of-war between what you’re doing and what you coulda shoulda woulda be doing isn’t easy.

And the worst part? There’s no right answer, and even the most decisive people can’t seem to make up their minds.

One week, you’re embracing your going out era and relishing in the fact you’re getting the 6am train home from Waterloo. The next week, you’re so hungover on the overground, you can’t even look at your Kindle, let alone read it.

Obviously, you vow to never drink again, only to have a glass of wine three days later.

You re-download Hinge for the umpteenth time and hype yourself up for a date a month, before deciding that you can’t be bothered, actually, and you’d much rather channel your energy into showing everyone just how independent you are.

You decide to give running another go because everyone seems to be a runner these days. Sometimes, you wonder what they’re running from, and decide you’re perfectly happy with your pre-work plod instead.

And then there are moments, on rainy Sunday mornings in Hampstead Heath, when you remember to trust the process. You remind yourself that nobody has all the answers. You remember to enjoy it while it lasts.

Prioritise what makes you feel good

HGW

One afternoon, not long after I’d moved to Spain for my third year of university, my friend, SJ, and I were trying to work out why we stopped doing all the day-to-day things that made us feel good, in exchange for things that didn’t make us feel so good.

A year later, I was trying to pinpoint why I felt out-of-sorts when I realised I hadn’t read my book in over a week. In other words, I hadn’t been making time to do the things that made me feel like me. So, I made time.

So, no matter what that thing is to you, be it reading, surfing, or tap dancing, setting aside just five minutes a day to do your thing, will make all the difference - and I promise, you’ll feel all the better for it.

---

Next time: A Wannabe Parisian’s Guide to Paris.

In the meantime:

• I really enjoyed Lucy Kenningham’s deep dive into the strange, nostalgic world of public swimming pools in City AM

• I also loved this piece in Glamour about throwing a ‘non-wedding’

• Cat Lady by Dawn O’Porter is the perfect holiday read. It’s gross, uncomfortable, hilarious, and completely faith-in-humanity restoring

• Dish is as brilliant as ever

• I am also loving journalist Billie Bhatia and Sasha Pallari’s new podcast, Spill