An Ode to my Twenties

This is my first blog post in a while. And by a while, I mean a few years. Time has flown by, bringing change and newness, laughter and tears. I realized I owe my homepage an update from "twenty-something creative professional" to... well, I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that I am now a thirty-something creative professional. It feels like a rebrand. What new features or attributes does thirty-something Kristen bring? What is my thirty-something "brand?"

Ok, let's slow down a little. I just turned thirty last year, and I have a lot of exploring, growing, and transforming to do. For now, I will still favor dino nuggets and chocolate milk as a dinner option (this is a no judging zone).

As I crept closer to the big 3-0 last year, I started reflecting on all of the adventures, challenges, and growth in my twenties. I began the decade as a college student and ended it as an adult navigating my professional career with one less major organ. A lot went down in those years in between.

At 21, I completed my undergraduate degree just weeks after my diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. I was hurled into a world that was foreign to me. Medications, hospital stays, infusions, and rapid changes to my once healthy body made my life unrecognizable at times. I started graduate school from a hospital bed a few months later, just days before my first of seven major surgeries. I spent the next two years writing papers and participating in discussion boards while in and out of hospitals, ERs, and doctors' appointments. More than a few papers and assignments were submitted from hospital beds. You may be wondering, why put yourself through graduate school during a major health crisis? Here's the thing: when everything in my life felt like it had been turned upside down, the consistency and routine of my courses was cathartic. I did not know what the next day would bring with my health, but at least I knew I had a paper due.

A couple years later, now 23, I completed my master's degree, which felt monumental amidst the flurry of health problems I had faced and was still in the middle of.

The remaining seven years of my twenties involved more surgeries, hospital stays, and setbacks with my health but also major milestones in my professional career. I started my first full-time job in 2019. I was working at a local college in the marketing and communications office. After several years, that job led to my next job in higher education, which came with a move to a new city.

I started my most recent job in December 2024, which was an elevated step in my career. I am also nearing year five of teaching college courses as an adjunct instructor. As I am typing this in April 2025, I currently have four classes, with a total of close to 80 students. That's a lot of papers to grade! I stay busy on the weekends adventuring around the area, working on my photography, and spending time with my family and pets. Life feels more "normal" now than it has in years. It feels both similar and not similar at all to the life I knew before I got sick.

I had to rebuild and regrow a lot of things in my life after years of major health struggles. Everything goes to the wayside when your only focus is navigating your way to health again. There are moments when I look in the mirror, and I can almost see pre-illness Kristen looking back at me. Her hair is long and eyes bright. She is re-discovering her favorite foods and pastimes again. But then there are moments when much of my life feels unrecognizable. But I guess that is part of growing up, too.

Through all of the ups and downs, I am incredibly thankful for my twenties and all of the lessons I learned and the adventures I embarked on. It was not what I envisioned my twenties would look like — it was better. Even with all of the challenges I faced. I am excited to see what my thirties bring!

To health and happiness!