The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth, I'm Feelin 22 ✌

It goes without saying that nobody likes getting older,well apart from that seventeen year old who's counting down the days until they're eighteen and can finally throw away the fake ID but for me, I was never that girl. I was never the seventeen year old who couldn't wait to grow up and as irrational as it may seem growing older is my biggest fear in life. Why fear something you can't change? I don't know...I just really don't know but what I do know are birthday's are supposed to be a day of celebration and happiness however if you ask me how I was feeling on my birthday 'happy' wouldn't quite make it into my vocabulary, but on Monday August 21st I became a 22 year old.

I know you're thinking I'm being a little bit dramatic but according to my mother I've been the same every single year on my birthday but this year is worse than ever. I think it's due to the fact that I love being 21, I feel like it's an age where yes you're an adult but you get away with everything like you're still a 'young one' but 22, that's a grown up and I'm nowhere near ready to be a grown up, I don't feel like a grown up, I don't act like a grown up I AM NOT A GROWN UP!!!!! and you need to send help PRONTO!!! Thinking back to this week last year when I had my birthday party I was probably the happiest I had ever been 21 is a great age and I'm so envious of anyone that still has it to come.

Okay now lets call a spade a spade, one of the worst things you can do in life is compare yourself to others, it doesn't get you anywhere but at this moment I can't help it, my life
is not what I expected it to be like whatsoever and I think that's one of the hardest things about turning 22. I look at my other friends who have already turned 22, some living with boyfriends, some finishing their degrees, others with their dream job and some travelling the world and that's what I always expected my life to be like but the reality is very different and this is not what I had planned. I don't have a degree, I haven't travelled the world, I don't have a relationship, I don't have the career I've always dreamed of and to be totally honest I don't know what I want to do with my life either.

Since I was 15/16 the journalism/media industry was the only path for me and truthfully I think that's where it all went wrong. At such a young age to be so determined and ambitious may seem like a good thing but I knocked on every single door and got as far as I could for a teenager but being honest no one is willing to give a child a chance, especially not in this industry! I put so many hours into doing work experience, writing, interviewing, researching, making contacts and blogging that I never put enough work into  the things that really mattered like school and studying. If I put half as much effort into my school work things would probably be a lot different.
At 22 you should be in your chosen career field, done/ finishing off college but for me it's now that I have to turn around and start from scratch, and that's a scary thought but I'm also looking forward to it.

I started writing this post last week, just before my birthday and decided not to share it then as it was quite dark and I hate sharing negativity on my blog but now that the weeks gone I feel much calmer about being closer to 25 than 18 as much as it breaks my heart.
 I watched the clock turn to 00:00 on Sunday night and cried with sadness but then it hit me, I'll never be as young as I am right now.
Now I have tomorrow night to look forward to with my best friends and I cannot wait, I'll be sure to keep you updated ;)

The 16 Stages Of Every Irish Debs

If you're trying to locate me in this picture I'm going to make it easier for you becuase that's me,second row, four in from the right with a purple dress that looked blue in photographs and hating every aspect of my current appearance. I hated my dress, hated the colour and as for my hair, don't even get me started even to this day I hate it being up it just does not suit me at all but other than all that it's hard to imagine this night was three years ago this month on the 28th of August and I'm going to take you on a trip down memory lane of things that happen in the preparation at every single Irish debs.

Before I begin I just want to give a special shout out to Patricia who's making her debs in Wexford today and to everyone else who's debbing it out today or in the upcoming month live it up, you'll only get one night like it!!

So without further ado....

The Stages of an Irish Debs

Way back in the day (well 3 years ago) the Debs were a big thing, I know for a fact myself and my friends hadn't been out that much and unless you were lucky enough to be a plus one at your cousins wedding seven years ago this was/is probably your first formal night out and the prep work had to be intense. I remember having 'Kiss' magazine out in front of me with it's six week plan to the debs and I followed it like the bible, it was my holy grail and I wasn't missing one step which is why I bagged my debs date months before the actual night which is where we're starting out...

1. Finding A Debs Date-

 This can be one of the hardest steps for girls out there like who can you bring that isn't a dick but looks good enough for a picture and won't ruin your night???...Growing up I had three best male friends so I always knew I was going to bring one of them but after Connor got asked I panicked and asked Darragh about seven months before the actual debs but listen here preparation is key!!! I could tell you a few funny stories about how I almost ended up going alone five/six times but yeah, I won't...

 

2. The Dress - 

This is my horror story well actually my entire debs story is a horror story but the dress caused me awful grief!!

 Firstly I ordered this most incredibly beautiful dress off the internet, it was stunning. Silver glittery top and a long beige full skirt it was incredible looking and cost the best part of €200 but My God it was worth it...it was stunning, that was of course until it arrived and it was VILE!!!! I couldn't wear it the shoulders were for a six foot man, the length for a 9 foot man as for where your boobs were expected to go...disaster!!!!!! Long story short, don't buy your debs dresses from China kids!!

One day mam arrived home with this really pretty pink dress, I loved it and straight away decided I would wear this dress, until of course me being me decided na I don't really like this I need a new one two weeks before the debs and decided to buy this purple yoke from Debenhams don't ask me why but at the time I loved it. Brought it home bought Darragh's tie to match it which cost me €25 I may add!! Then when I decided I wanted to wear the pink one they wouldn't take back the tie so I was stuck wearing the purple one....the horror goes on!!

3. The Twins-

It goes without saying that at every single Irish Debs two poor souls will end up with the same dress and take one guess who the poor soul was at my debs....Yes of course it was me, I wouldn't care if I even liked the dress!!! ....Still not over it!! 

 4. Heels-

I'm one of those lucky girls that can wear heels all day and not die, I have this thing called 'Barbie toes' where it's comfier for me to walk on my tippy toes than on the flat so heels to me...no problem, what was my problem however was the height of my debs date, now at the time I was 5'2 even though now I've sprouted to about 5'3/5'4 but Darragh wasn't that much taller...still isn't but what I decided to do was buy little heels wear them in the pictures and then change into flats....turns out the flats cut the heel off me but what's another story in the Lynda horror tales ey?!

5. The Tan-

Remember when I said my debs was a horror story....yeah, I had my spray tan booked for the day before, couldn't wait to be a golden brown goddess woke up on the morning dying!!!! As in could not get out of bed and missed my spray tan :) :) :)

 Thought I was going to miss the debs but fear not sent mam to town to buy me some Sally Hanson, of course she picked up the lightest one she could so I had tan paler than my original skin....there's always a tan disaster just don't look like poor Hughie. 

6.CLEAN EVERYTHING!!!!!!!! -

To this day I don't know what came over my mother,she was a woman possessed!! Everything had to be SPOTLESS!!! I mean as in two days before my debs on my hands and knees with a mask on scrubbing the shower with a toothbrush spotless...It still ponders me!! 

 As for the back garden.... plant all the flowers...ALL THE FLOWERS!!!!

7. The Corsage-

According to google 'a corsage is a small bouquet of flowers worn around a women's wrist at a formal event purchased by the woman's date' do you want to know what Darragh thought he was getting me....

Long story short I bought my own....

8. Something Goes Wrong- 

You can have spent months planning your perfect dress/hair/tan/makeup and unlike my debs everything can have been going perfect but something will go wrong, make my words!! Just embrace it! :) 

9. Your Family Judge And Eyeball Your Date- 

I don't think there's anything more nerve wrecking than hearing the door bell going and knowing it's your date, I can't imagine what it would be like if you didn't know the person but their whole family, your whole family it feels like an arranged wedding and you can bet on your life the fam will be judging your choice in date. 

10. No More Photographs PLEASE - 

Firstly...see I told you my dress looked blue in pictures,

but after an hour of photographs in your newly flowered garden it's onto a professional shoot at school without everyone watching the photographer make you stand really awkwardly with your date...

SEND HELP!!

11.  The Bus -

I hear of people these days getting their own transport to the venue but for me one of the best parts of the night was the bus, the clam before the storm if you ask me.

 'Quick get me a seat, watch it will ya don't sit on me dress, ya tit ya you wrinkled it' where as coming home...'are those my feet'

12. You Can't Sit With Us -

It goes without saying everyone has a place at a table but the school weirdo does not have a place with you and your six school best friends getting ready for your last hurrah together, please move.

13. The Pins Come Out, Hair Goes Down- 

This happens around 11.30 your head starts to feel heavy and what makes you feel better than having long flowing curly locks...nothing!!! It's a right of passage on the night!!

14. Lads Remove The Ties/Jackets In Order To 'Get Down' -

Like the hair coming down the lads have their right of passage too and that's loosening the tie and taking off the jacket how else are they going to attempt to beat the girls when Maniac 2000 comes on?!! 

15- The Waterworks - 

Whether it's the sixth year grad song coming on at the end of the night or the realisation that the girls you've spent the last eight years with will no longer be there on Monday morning it's an emotional time believe me, that being said I didn't cry because I'm a cold hearted gal who's best friends lived in the same avenue so I was flying it!! 

 16. 'Where's The After Sesh?'-

No one is ready to head home after the night well those that make it through the bus ride home aren't ready to go home so the next question is 'Where's the sesh' and there's always one!! 

So there you have it, sixteen stages of Every Irish debs...I hope everyone has an amazing night and I'm sure you'll see comparisons of this list and your own!!