Years In Your 20s, Ranked from Youngest-Feeling to Oldest-Feeling
The Definitive List
Est. Read Time: 3 minutes. Read Time brought to you once again by the Ashburton Energy + Hair Logistics Group, in association with the Bradley Hills Bureau of Corrections + Housing.
New to the SternJourn? It’s a place where Julian (me) promotes shows; and talks about comedy, writing, productivity, and whatever the hell else he [I] want(s). Check out the best of 2024, 2022, 2021, or 2020 [I’ll get around to a best of 2023 at some point]!
SHOWS
[Glendale, CA] Drinking Habits @ The Crow - Fri Jan. 24
[Covina, CA] Chatterbox - Sun Feb. 16
[Santa Monica, CA] I Gotta Crow - Sat Feb. 22
[Future Shows] Fill out this form to lemme know what city you’re in if you wanna see me perform there! Takes 5 seconds! Helps me make my grand plans!
Hello Sternal Journalists,
Welcome to almost the end of the first week of January. Remember all that nervousness you felt about the end of the year just a few weeks ago? Man, it rocks to be on the other side of that, looking at a nearly-untouched brand new year. I know I feel silly for being so stressed before. Let us all rock out.
Speaking of the weird way time can recirculate and fold back on itself, my sister turns 26 soon. I was telling her not to worry at all because 26 is the youngest-feeling of your 20s. She didn’t believe me, but I have compared notes with others (I.e. forced them to listen to this theory) and for the most part, people agree.
Something about realizing that you’re squarely in your late 20s, but are now the youngest of the late 20s; and also that you are now in the third cycle of thinking you have to have it all figured out (the first being college, the second being 21-25), meaning you have an inkling that maybe that won’t happen—all of that gives 26 a carefree, ultra-youthful vibe to the degree that I think most people regress and become worse versions of themselves at that age, but that is what being young is about!
Anyway, I’ve talked about this a lot, but it’s time I put it in writing. Below is my definitive list of Years In Your 20s, Ranked from Youngest-Feeling to Oldest-Feeling (to the person experiencing the year):
26
20
22
21
23
24
27
28
25
29
I believe the list speaks for itself, but if you have any questions or complaints, lemme know directly or in the comments. Also, for anyone who is reading this and scared about the age they’re at in their 20s, don’t worry! So far, 30 and 36 have both felt younger than entries 8-10 ever did! We’ll all oscillate between young and old forever.
And now…
Recommendations!
Monument Valley 3. Phone Game. To call this a phone game is both accurate and extremely misleading. The Monument Valley series is one of the most elegant, beautiful, tender visual art experiences I’ve ever encountered. In it, you navigate the cute, faceless protagonist through a series of M.C. Escher-esque environments where nothing is as it seems and gravity is frequently turning upside down. It’s super easy to pick up, it’s zen, it ends so you don’t have to worry about getting addicted! I think it’s genuinely the healthiest way you could waste some time on your phone. And if you have a Netflix account, you can get it for free!
The King of Network TV Wants Just 30 Minutes Of Your Time. Article. This profile of Law and Order and Chicago-verse creator Dick Wolf drips “Well, well, well” as it presages the prolific producer’s return to the top of the T.V. mountain after being nearly snuffed out by the just finished era of “prestige T.V.” It’s not a super deep profile, but something about the fact that Wolf and his team all want revenge on us for ever liking prestige T.V., and that both tickled and scared me.
Social Media Is Depriving Artists. Essay. This essay by comic Isabel Hagen is a must-read because it is nothing but truths, and the most eloquent and straightforward argument I’ve seen anyone make for how social media (though it helps gets butts in seats) is pretty much definitely hurting the work of all comedians. Also, it’s a Substack post that got written up in the New York Times. I didn’t even know that could happen.
Cement City. Podcast. I’m about halfway through this documentary pod about a failing-on-an-economic-level-but-vibrant-on-a-human-level town in Pennsylvania, and it’s scratching the mid-aughts post-Serial documentary-podcast-boom itch that I develop every few months. The thing that sets this apart from similar “snapshot of a place” podcasts I’ve listened to is that the hosts buy a house to fully ingrain themselves in the community. That doesn’t play into it as much as I thought it would, but little touches—starting every episode with commentary on the town from a group of old men who meet in the park every day, the hosts’ willingness to have a beer whenever offered, treating neighborhood council politics like national races—elevate it into something different.
LA Homeless Count. Volunteer Opportunity. If you’re in L.A., the Homeless Count, an event where volunteers come together to gather data on the state of homelessness in L.A. (which in turn qualifies us for federal funding) is coming up! I’m running the Mid City West site and would love more volunteers. Reach out with any questions!
Okay, much love!
Julian!
P.S. Unrelated. Here is my favorite building in Rockville, Maryland
