Despite all the noise and chatter surrounding our generation, you've come to love being a millennial. You've owned phrases like, "The struggle is real," and your dreams to live in places like New York City or Los Angeles. You've happily bought plane tickets — even though your bank account wasn't totally supportive of it — and laughed about your growing obsession with emojis and all things internet-related. That doesn't keep people from reminding you of all the things millennials have less of, though. Let me tell you: It's just noise, and honestly, you're living your #bestlife.
In my experience, some people tend to assume a lot about millennials. They make judgments about what we spend on our money on, like Instagram-worthy trips, avocado toast, and fancy drinks at local coffee shops. They say that we're not very realistic for not wanting to work a traditional nine to five job, and that we're always on our phones. (Spoiler alert: I'm actually holding multiple conversations, checking my email, and keeping up-to-date on the latest news — not just looking at memes.)
And although some of that may be valid and noteworthy, we're not totally getting the credit we deserve. Truth is, millennials have created an entirely new lifestyle that may have less of what other people would consider to be essentials, like these seven things. But, that's OK. We're doing just fine.
First things first: Millennials don't always have a huge group of friends. Instead, they have a few close besties who they can't live without. These are the people who may have been in their life since day one — the ones they will continuously text their wildest ideas and daydreams to, because they're supportive and drama-free. They're also the ones they can rely on for anything, from embarrassing stories to the cold, hard truth.
Here's the real tea: Millennials have a lot less drama. It may not seem that way, because some of us really love reality television and captioning Instagram posts with #sipstea. But it's true. Many of us don't have the time, energy, or interest to deal with toxic people, petty arguments, or passive-aggressive situations. So, we don't.
Instead, we surround ourselves with people who can laugh about life and aren't still living in high school mode. It's that simple, and we're much happier for it.
I don't know about you, but most of the time, my schedule is jam-packed. I'm working during the day, and running to do errands or to meet my bestie for happy hour at night. On the weekends, I'm going to baseball games with my SO, checking out new restaurants, or working — again. It's rare that I have free time for anything, or better yet, nothing. That's OK, though. I'm living my very best life, and so are you!
As I've gotten older, I've realized that wasting time is not in my personal agenda, and I think a lot of millennials are feeling and thinking the same way. They're filling up their schedules with spontaneous plans and trips, and intentionally doing a millions things at the same time (for example: texting, catching up on the latest season of Queer Eye, and researching cute Airbnbs in the desert). They're also having no problem getting rid of the people or situations in their life that are making them worry or stress about things that don't really matter, and learning the power of simply saying "no."
Some millennials are essentially never bored. (Should I say it louder for the people in the back?) Even when they're complaining about having nothing to do, they're not truly bored.
They're actually complaining because they have a ton of things they would like to do, like explore botanical gardens, drive down to the beach and stargaze, or go on a pizza crawl. But, none of their friends are free or they have to wait until their next paycheck drops in their bank account. You can still count on them to make the most of this little bit of spare time they do have, though.
Many millennials spend a lot less of their money on material things, and lot more on experiences. That's because they see more value in going on trips and checking excursions off their bucket list rather than buying an expensive item just to have it. You can likely find them putting coins in a jar and saving money for plane tickets. There's a line in their budget dedicated to travel and making new memories. And if you ask me, there's something beautiful about that.
Last but not least, millennials don't really have vacations. Sure, they travel a lot. But, it's a different kind of travel than other generations do — one that doesn't necessarily require taking time off work or lounging by a resort's pool.
You see, when millennials travel, it's often to see the world. They fill their 10 days or so up with sightseeing, Instagram-worthy adventures on the West Coast, and out-of-this-world excursions. They go cliff jumping, wine tasting, and city hopping, and always want more.
If you're part of this generation, then you know and find yourself making the most of long weekends and golden hours on the reg. You're doing just fine, I'd say, with what you have, where you are, and what it means to be a millennial.
