Beginnings, endings and the messy bits in between

My 24th year can only be described as epic. When I turned 24, I was married. I was a homeowner. I was on a set path of doing exactly what was expected of me. And for numerous reasons, I was miserable.

Now, with three weeks to go before I hit the quarter-century mark, I am no longer that married lady. The semi-detached house with a yard has been sold, and my living arrangements have been replaced with a new condo rental high in the downtown skyline. I worry less about what people expect from me, and more about what it is that I want. I think about what feels right for me, and what makes me happy. And, I am happy.

It turns out, sometimes life is messy. And while sometimes the drama of starting all over can be a bit overwhelming - for both myself and the people in my life - I have learned that messy doesn't have to be bad. In fact, the more time I spent worrying about what could happen - the fear of making a mistake, the fear of complications - the more likely things were to get complicated and unpleasant.

I also was reminded that people don't fit easily into boxes - and that I shouldn't let them try. I can be the responsible editor, the midnight high heel-wearing baker, the nerdy video gamer, the bookworm and the hockey player - sometimes all in the same night. And I like it that way.

So, while I've joked about my quarter-century crisis, thus the name of this blog, it's really more of a quarter-century kickoff. Because my 25th year is going to be an adventure. I've reclaimed the reins of my life, and wanted an outlet to share and process my experience - and hopefully get a little encouragement as I learn to embrace endings, beginnings and all the messy bits that come along with it.