Greetings!

As I’m at the end of my twenties, I thought I’d dedicate a post to looking back at this decade of my life so far. A lot has happened in these past ten years: a lot of new and different experiences, a lot of trials-and-errors, and a lot of growing up in the end. While there had been a few struggles and doubts over time, I can honestly, 100% say that I really enjoyed my twenties, and I will definitely look back on them fondly in the years, even decades, to come.

Blog-wise, I started Rebecca Goes Rendezvous when I was 23; I started this blog following an exciting year living in France. Given that I’d traveled so much in that year following graduation, I wanted to create a travel blog that would show past, current, and future adventures wherever I went. Fast-forward nearly seven years later, and it’s still going strong! While this blog has definitely changed since I first began until now, I’m happy with how it’s all turned out, and I intend to keep recounting my trips as I ease into my thirties.

At the risk of rambling even further, I will go ahead and share with you a breakdown of each year in my twenties, photos included. There will be a few awkward, cringey photos of baby Rebecca here, but I hope you’ll find them entertaining as I reflect on how far I’ve come since 20 years old, and I hope to scrapbook this period of my life to look back on wistfully in the years to come. Enjoy!

PS I was inspired by a similar post from Dana by As Told By Dana (which she has since made private, but it was a good blog!), so shout out to her!

A Snapshot of My Twenties

20

The big shoe!In Solvang, California (July 2013)

I started my first year of my twenties by making a big decision in my academic career: I switched from being a science major to an English literature major, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Given that I was struggling and unhappy in the sciences, my choice to pick a major I was more attuned with made me a lot happier and less stressed out. I was able to have a life again, as I joined more clubs on campus and made more friends.

21

Week 1 Me and my little friend ;) 7-1-14Studying abroad in Paris (July 2014)

Thanks to being an English major, I was also able to minor in French and had a great opportunity to study abroad in Paris over the summer. It was my first time in Paris and I had a lot of fun in that month overseas. Even though I left not really improving my French (whoops), I got my first taste of freedom in a different country, and little did I know that I would be returning to France very, very soon…

22

10-26-15 (Prague) View from Petrin HillPrague, Czech Republic (October 2015)

I graduated from university, and soon enough moved to France to start teaching English. I was placed in a small town in Normandy to teach middle school and high school, which proved to be tough for the winter blues later on. But in the first three months of living abroad, I met and befriended other English teachers while starting solo travel throughout France and the rest of Europe. At first, it was just a way for me to enjoy my holidays from teaching, but I would have no idea just how much more I would be doing after that…

23

20160503_141654Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy (May 2016)

23 was definitely the year of travel for me: I was traveling somewhere almost every month, and this year saw some incredible destinations, including Portugal, Japan, and the Cinque Terre in Italy. Whenever there was a long weekend, I would be out of town– and even if there wasn’t a long weekend, I made it happen. I was addicted to travel, and I wanted to keep exploring more and more of this vast world.

I also ended up renewing my teaching contract in Normandy for another year, and I also started online graduate school at the same time I was teaching (and freelance writing to pay for my tuition). I’m not one for hustle culture today, but back then, I was truly hustling…and with some new flat-mates in France, I would say that 23 was a blast.

24

20170510_124759Chefchaouen, Morocco (May 2017)

I was traveling a bit less this year due to graduate school, but I still did a bit with visits to Poland, Morocco, and the US Pacific Northwest. I also applied and got accepted as an English university lecturer in the Lyon region, so I packed my bags and moved down south to the Rhône Alpes. It was a huge learning curve to teach university students during that first year, but it worked out in the end. I also completed my graduate school at the end of the year and got my Master’s!

25

20180704_091601Machu Picchu, Peru (July 2018)

After finishing my Master’s, I was free to travel more. 25 was another year of travel, as I was out almost every month somewhere in Europe, South America, or the United States. Memorable trips include Iceland, Peru, and Colorado. I also entered my second (and final year) of teaching university, which came with stress and uncertainty of what I was going to do afterwards– would I be able to stay in France, teach abroad elsewhere, or return to the US?

26

20190702_112953Lavender fields of Provence, France (July 2019)

This uncertainty plagued me going into my 26th year. I was trying to deny the inevitability of it all by continuing to travel and delay responsibility. I was also dealing with family stuff, and all of this really became my “quarter-life crisis” period. After some memorable trips to Romania, Turkey, and the south of France, I reluctantly returned to the US to be close to my family. It was a very tough decision I had to make and, even though I resented it then, now I know it was the best decision in the long run.

27

Poppy selfie RGRPoppy fields in Lancaster, California (April 2020)

I struggled in this period, with job instability, anger about leaving France, and the death of a loved one. COVID also hit and made me unemployed for a few months. There was also another family emergency and, with some sheer luck, I finally got a *stable* job! After so long, I felt so blessed and relieved to settle down with a permanent position, and I would spend the following year working hard at it to establish myself.

28

At Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (October 2021)

COVID remained a threat in my 28th year, but the year also came with more hope, as I (and others) got vaccinated and began tentatively stepping out into the world again. I continued working and otherwise enjoying the simple pleasures in my free time, from hanging out with family and friends to trying new restaurants in town. I also started traveling again, albeit domestically, to the western US states and other parts of California. I was itching to travel internationally again, but that would have to wait until a year later…

29

At Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (November 2022)

Compared to the previous, sleepier year, 29 was a bit more exciting. Besides traveling more (and having my first international trip in over three years, to South America), I also started focusing on and fostering a relationship with my partner. I’d been on-and-off dating for over two years prior to that, and it was great that we eventually found each other. Things are still going well! Other than that, I’m still focusing on my career, but also looking for other opportunities out there to continue moving up…we’ll have to see what happens as I approach 30 (and onwards)!

Whew, what a wild ride it has been throughout my twenties. A lot has happened, with a lot of struggles and doubts, but also a lot of happiness and joy. I’m extremely content with how everything’s turned out, and I’m looking forward to what the thirties have in store for me. And I hope you join me along for the ride!

What were your twenties like? Let me know! Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

57 thoughts on “A Snapshot of my 20s (and Reflections)”

  2. I think the coolest thing with blogging is that we can tell our own stories on here, and it is pretty awesome that you can always look back and see your journey through the years. It looks like you have had some awesome travels and adventures in your 20s, and I am looking forward to reading your blogs in the future as well!

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    1. Exactly! It’s incredible to see just how far I’ve come since starting my blog (let alone my travels) in my early twenties. Thanks for your support, and here’s to more adventures coming soon!

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  3. Great idea to give a year-by-year overview of your eventful twenties.
    My twenties (a long time ago) were also eventful, but somewhat different. I also spent several years in Europe, but also a year in Vietnam and eventually returned to the US where I lucked onto a job as news director of a radio station.

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    1. You had a wild decade in your twenties! Lots of moving around, but I’m sure lots of great and memorable experiences, too. I’m sure you’re in a good place, now settled in, but still on as many adventures as possibly can! Thanks for stopping by. 😊

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  4. Rebecca, it was a long time ago! However, it was also an exciting time when I got married, bought our first, second and third homes, graduated, qualified and moved across the country to work ( not necessarily in that order).

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    1. You had a fruitful decade of growth, from finishing school to marriage to a big move! All life-changing moments…I’m sure you learned a lot in that time, and now you’re in a good spot to enjoy life!

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  6. So beautiful! You’ve inspired me. I’ll do a similar post in 2025 for my 30th too. One of the scariest things about your 20s is how formative it feels. This is where most of us land our first real jobs, figure out our life and career paths, choose partners etc. Mistakes can feel so damning but we still truly have our entire lives ahead of us! ❤️ best wishes for your 30s & beyond. Blogging is one of my better 20s decisions too 🙂

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    1. Thank you for your wonderful words, Rochelle! You’re absolutely right about our twenties being a formative period of our lives– mistakes are to be made, even embraced, as we learn and grow from them to move forward in the decades to come. I hope you continue to enjoy your twenties, filled with more exploring and memories!

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  8. Thanks for the summary of your 20s decade. Lots of travel, yay! Started blogging! Met your partner. You’ve done a lot. I traveled a fair bit in my twenties; Spain, Portugal, England, Germany, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico. Glad to have met you through blogging. Happy birthday!

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    1. Thanks, Rebecca! My twenties have been a lot about travel and also settling down some roots. You had a great twenties yourself! I appreciate your support, and I love reading your blog, too. 😊

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  9. Twenties are certainly a mixture of experiences, discovery and consolidation. It’s hard to tell it in a few lines as you did, there are so many other little moments that count for a lot. Travel of course, combining time, money and curiosity, variables that change during your twenties.

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    1. Absolutely! There were many aspects that I couldn’t (or chosen not to) include in my 20s recap, but they also account for my growth and knowledge in this past decade. Travel was a huge one, and I hope to continue that trajectory going into my 30s!

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  10. You had an eventful decade, and accomplished so much while enjoying your travels too. It’s been fun to follow along and read about your experiences. Mexico was the place to go when I was in my twenties, and I took multiple trips there. I’m looking forward to following along on your adventures.

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    1. Thanks for your kind words! If anything, my twenties were the decade of travel, and despite also going through a few rough patches, I wouldn’t change a thing about it all. I appreciate your support, and here’s to more adventures ahead!

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  11. Yours 20s sounded amazing filled with transformative and fun experiences! As a science major, I can confirm I had no time to join any extra curricular activities because of all the contact hours needed :(. I didn’t realise that you returned back to the US not that long ago! It probably feels this way due to all the lockdowns and restrictions. To the next decade of adventures and experiences!

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    1. My twenties were definitely a huge formative decade of new experiences, new destinations, and new wisdom learned along the way. Being a science major wasn’t for me, and I was happy to switch! Thanks for reading, and here’s to another decade of learning and growing!

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  12. Great decade for you. Mine was also mostly spent on travels, a few months living in England, graduating, changing jobs and careers and meeting my husband and getting married just a few months before I turned 30!

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    1. You had a whirlwind of a decade! Your twenties were definitely filled with adventure, and I suppose this was when you discovered your love for red phone boxes in the UK (based on your blog title?). 😉 Thanks for reading, Tanja!

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  13. I’m so pleased you took advantage of travelling as much as possible whilst living in France and that you are once again content back in California. I’m sure your 30’s will open up more career opportunities and continued happiness for you.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely words, Marion! My twenties has certainly been quite the ride, but I wouldn’t change anything about it. Here’s to a wonderful thirties and beyond!

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  14. How great it is to know more about the person behind the posts. The helter skelter of experiences will, I am sure continue to grow. Difficult to lose the travel bug! But even when travelling oportunities are more difficult to fit into working life, exploring the areas close to where you live, with eyes wide open, can bring great discoveries too. May the miles and smiles continue!

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    1. Couldn’t have said it better! Despite my 9-5 job and a busier personal life than before, I still make time to travel and see the world! Sometimes, I do so right at home in LA; I’m fortunate to live in such a big city with plenty of things to see and do! Thanks for your well wishes. 😊

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  15. What a great idea for a post, I really enjoyed reading this Rebecca. It must have been so nostalgic putting this together and thinking back over the various highs and lows. It was also fun seeing photos of Rebecca through the years. “I was trying to deny the inevitability of it all by continuing to travel and delay responsibility”. Ha ha, this sounds like me for most of my life. One of these days, I would like to do a similar post and figure out exactly how those years played out for me across the world. It feels like a daunting task, but one I would like to face someday. And then do a similar 30s and 40s post, ha! Here’s to your 30s eclipsing your 20s, hope you’re having a great time in England!

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    1. Haha, you get it! My early to mid-twenties were about having fun without the burden of work and attachments to anything, really. But as the decade went on with more work, more responsibility, I knew I had to learn to find a middle ground with work and play. It’s still a learning process, but it’s working out for me so far! It’d be interesting to read a recap about your 20s and 30s: especially with all you’ve done in your adult years so far, I’m sure you have some wisdom to impart!

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  16. This is such a great post, Rebecca and I very much enjoyed reading it. I am amazed by everything you managed to achieve already, you are such an inspiration! Bill Gates was right when he said, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.”

    Your twenties can go by quickly but those years can be some of the most important and transformative of your life and it is a prime time to develop your personality, education, relationships, and career. There’s nothing worse than getting to your 30s and having a string of regrets is going to haunt you.

    I think that besides being career-focused, it’s essential to invest time and energy into behaviours that will still serve you in the future such as great relationships outside your family, social connections, passion projects, thinking patterns and reading habits will still be relevant in the next decade. Here’s to another amazing decade ahead. Cheers 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. You put it all wonderfully, Aiva! Despite a lot of ups and downs in my twenties, I will say that I had a solid decade with plenty of adventures and little regrets. Hope to continue an upwards trajectory into my thirties and beyond!

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  19. What a decade! You’ve really had a lot of excitement in your 20s. I didn’t realize you had lived in France for that long. And teaching college students? Wow! Here’s to your 30s. My 20s were good, but my 30s have been amazing. I hope you love these years as much as I do!

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  21. Happy belated birthday Rebecca! I loved reading this post and your retrospective on your twenties (with great pictures too!). I think my years following my teaching assistant job looked a lot like yours: lots of travelling and delaying the responsibility of deciding what to do, but they were fun years!

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    1. I didn’t know you were an assistante! What/where did you teach? I agree with you that, while it was fun, I needed to get a more-stable job afterwards…especially if I wanted to continue traveling!

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    1. I completely agree! My twenties were a decade of traveling and discovering the world; I’m still discovering the world into my thirties, but with a bit more responsibility, haha!

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