All of the great content we share is brought to you by the GenTwenty team. We’re introducing you to the names and faces behind the site in this special series.
What is your first and last name?
Rachael Warren (Tulipano)
Where do you live?
Maine – in the Greater Portland area.
How did you first hear about GenTwenty?
In 2013, I heard about GenTwenty after scouring the Internet for remote internship opportunities in writing, editing, and content marketing. At the time, GenTwenty was a relatively new online magazine, and I was welcomed onto the team very quickly after applying. I’ve been a Contributing Writer ever since!
When did you start writing for GenTwenty?
2013
If you had an extra hour in the day and you could do whatever you wanted, what would you do and why?
If I had an extra hour every day, I would dedicate those precious 60 extra minutes to reading. For some reason, the older I get, the less reading I do for fun/enjoyment. It’s so hard to schedule it into my day, and I often find that I am too exhausted to remember what I read right before bed. If I had a bonus hour, it would be exclusively reserved for catching up on my endlessly growing list of TBRs.
How do you recharge when you are stressed?
When I’m stressed, I typically like to change into a comfy outfit (e.g., sweatpants, sweatshirt, etc.), snuggle into bed, and log out of my work. I usually either turn on one of my favorite comedy shows and binge episodes I’ve seen hundreds of times (like The Office, Friends, or How I Met Your Mother), or I’ll listen to music. I find that laughing at a show or listening to one of my favorite playlists relaxes me and puts me in a much better mood.
Favorite sweet or savory treat?
Ice cream! I can’t even pick one flavor as my favorite. I love chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies & cream, coffee, peanut butter cup, and so on. If I need a sweet treat, it has to be ice cream!
What’s the best piece of advice you would give to another twenty-something?
You don’t have to accomplish all of your goals during your twenties. For some reason, everyone thinks life stops being fun, spontaneous, and enjoyable after 30. It feels like in the span of 10 years; there’s all this pressure to graduate from college, find your dream job, live independently, meet your soulmate, get married, buy a house, start a family, and so on.
As a collective society, we need to normalize finding love later in life, trying many types of jobs until one sticks, supporting people who choose not to get married or have children, and acknowledging that not everyone will fall in love with their careers.
The point is, everyone is different. If you have traditional goals/values, awesome. If you’re more progressive, that’s great too. Don’t pressure yourself to keep up with people around you and burn yourself out in your twenties just to check a box. Happiness cannot be found in a place, a person, or a thing. It has to come from within. If you’re happy with your life, then you’re already ahead and killing your twenties. Enjoy this amazing decade and make choices that serve you best.