By the time this edition of OX Magazine is out, I’ll be on the other side of the world, most likely a little sunburnt and full of a lot of ramen. I’m leaving my very jammy role as Entertainments Editor to go travelling. It recently dawned on me though, that for the first time in my life I have no idea what’s next for me, and I don’t think I mind.
In an unstable world with an unpredictable future, Gen Z like to have a solid plan laid out ahead of them. We need to have a steady job lined up that aligns with our career progression schedule and salary expectations; we need to have a savings plan and a few pages of the Bloor Homes New-Build catalogue earmarked; and we MIGHT have a locked notes page of baby names on our phones, just for good measure.
As well as providing a sense of control amidst a shaky political climate, a lot of this need to plan our lives comes from how easy it is to compare ourselves to others – yes here comes the social media slander…Of course it’s not all bad, but if you’re in a wobbly headspace and dive into a scroll-hole full of people you went to school with who are doing what you want to do, and look hot doing it, you're not going to feel better.
I realised that for a long time I’ve been looking ahead to an end goal and judging myself against it, while assuming the middle bit will just ‘happen’. Instead, it’s time to prioritise the middle bit. The ‘journey’ (if that’s not the most sickeningly cliché thing ever) and the dreams I’ve had that I have always assumed will never happen for some reason; like the one I’m doing right now by leaving a great job to go travelling. My boyfriend has a dream that involves owning a piano bar (despite not playing the piano) and “always wearing a hat” so we’ll see about that one, too…
I don’t know what will happen when I come home – or if I will at all – but I do know I’m going to be happy, and for now that’s enough. It’s been a joy to overshare, overthink, and overcome some pretty tricky topics in this column, I hope you’ve had fun too.
Love u, bye x
