All the Firsts of the Last 10 Years

Ages 17–27, a decade of firsts

Turning 28 later this year has caused me to reminisce about the last 10 years. 17–27, how pivotal these 10 years are. They have been eventful. In both joyous and devastating measures.

17included one of my greatest achievements to date, I took my first ever flight. And I took it solo to South Africa. On this trip, I rode an Ostridge for the first time. This trip gave me the travelling bug and I have tried to travel as much as possible ever since.

Other firsts at 17:

• My First Kiss (yes it was terrible because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but still a first).
• I drank alcohol for the first time.
• I met my first love.

18 was my first experience of getting to the fourth base. It was as good as anyone's first time ever is.

• I went on my first ‘girls holiday’ to Greece.
• My first family holiday abroad, to Sri Lanka.
• I travelled around Italy for the first time, with my grandparents.
• I started working in events.
• My first experience working in a coffee shop.
• I went to my first concert, I saw Bruno Mars at the 02!

19I started my first undergraduate degree. I studied Law.

• I commuted for the first time, the London underground in the summer, is unpleasant, to say the least, but it did teach me a lot about the human species.
• I went to Gran Canaria for the first time.

20I sat in on a case in the European court of human rights in France.

• I went to Belgium.
• I went to my first Holi colour festival.

21 I finished my first degree.

• I went to America for the first time.
• I met the family from my biological fathers' side for the first time.
• I went to Germany for the first time.
• I worked in Dublin for the first time.
• I tried Guinness for the first time.

23 I passed my driving test the first time and bought my first car.

• Got my first Office job, and lasted 10 months before vowing to never work in an office again.

24At 24 I moved out/ was kicked out of my childhood home and became estranged from the family I grew up with.

• I lived with my grandparents for the first time.
• I travelled around Morocco for the first time. This was the first time I travelled to a Muslim country.
• I rode a camel for the first time.
• I worked in America for the first time. I taught screen printing to an incredibly talented group of children and teens.

25 I studied a language for the first time, I took a part-time course learning Arabic.

• I started studying Midwifery for the first time.
• I worked in a hospital for the first time.

26 I delivered, or ‘caught’ my first baby.

• I had my first orgasm. Better late than never!
• I experienced my first (and hopefully last) pandemic.
• I became a carer for the first time. I cared for my grandad who had a rare type of dementia. There are no words to describe how devastating and heartbreaking dementia is.

27My first real experience of caring for someone who is dying and then of death and grief.

• My first time working in a hospital during a pandemic.
• My first post on Medium.

I now look forward to a new decade, of, hopefully, more positive firsts.