Yesterday, we dipped out of the office early for happy hour. And since we needed something to tell both our boss and the tax lady come April, we spent the better part of the afternoon asking millennials how they're handling what's known as the quarter-life crisis — or more aptly put, about how much are you freaking out about being an adult right now?

 

“I drank for seven hours straight yesterday … ”
–Jessica, 25 
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“I’m pretending it’s not happening.”
–Melissa, 23
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“I think mine was last year when I got my belly button pierced after getting drunk at a winery with all my nutrition friends — after we all decided going into nutrition was a horrible idea and then chopping my hair off the next day … I’m much more stable now … as stable as a one legged table. I think I’m still in the middle of my quarter-life crisis. No clue what I’m doing with my life.”
–Carol, 27 
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“My dog and I moved across the country on a whim and now I’m broke as shit but I’m happy.”
–Cory, 25
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“I randomly decided to move to Colorado all in about three weeks time.”
–Casie, 30
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“I’m currently trying to rediscover myself, but who I was yesterday ain't who I am today so it’s hard coming to terms that I’m not a solid being … lately I’ve been struggling with how I’ve been labeling myself versus how other people label me. [laughs] Does that even make sense?”
–Cece, 23
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“I like to curl up in a ball and eat baby carrots with peanut butter and watch American Horror Story.”
–Allie, 18
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“I planned a solo trip to Europe to discover myself and then at the last minute I decided I needed my mom to tag along because it was going to be my first time out of the country period, let alone by myself.”
–Anonymous, 23
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“Paying for bottomless mimosas to forget the fact that you’re completely broke and then being hungover and needing an IV of fluids the next two days.”
–Julia, 27
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“When I turned 25 I realized not only am I halfway to 30, but also that I’m at the age when Hef could potentially kick me out of the mansion. The only positive is the car insurance break from finally being a qualified driver when you’ve felt all along you were the queen of the streets. Let’s not forget the realization you must find it in your budget to start preventative Botox injections cause God only knows what 30 will look like without it.”
–Kari, 29 
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“I don’t have time for a quarter-life crisis.”
–Jasmine, 23
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“I bought a dirt bike. I felt so invincible so I never wore a helmet. One day something came over me and I randomly decided that I was going to wear a helmet for the first time … I ended getting in a terrible wreck and that helmet saved my life.”
–Sushanth, 30
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“Between running my own business, working a 9-5 and trying to juggle the rest of my life as a 28-year-old, I’m drinking … but I’m drinking because even though I feel like I can barely keep my head above water most days, life is always getting better. They tell you you’re supposed to have done X, Y, and Z in your 20s, and I’ve done maybe one of those. And I love that! I’m forging my own path and that’s worth a glass (or two) a night to celebrate!”
–Alex, 28 
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“I guess I’m looking at everything as an opportunity at this point. College wasn’t my thing and it took two failed attempts at it to figure that out. Life can get really heavy at this age and it’s easy to fall into bad habits and coping mechanisms, so I’d say I’m just taking life day by day and doing things I enjoy and keep me sane.”
–Anonymous, 26
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“I’ve been smoking like … a lot of weed.”
–Brandon, 22

[originally published November 30, 2017]