23 Memes for People in Their Twenties Featuring New Parents, First Apartments, and People Still Asking Mom What's for Dinner

Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor

Nov 12, 2026 11:45 AM EST

What are we supposed to be doing with our lives in our twenties?

I'm 27, and looking at me and my group of friends isn't giving me a clear answer. Some have moved into their own places. I moved out on my own recently, too, so I'm enjoying having a place that's mine while discovering how often it needs cleaning and how often I have to buy groceries. Other friends still live with their parents. Some have moved in with their partners, and some have become parents themselves! We're all around the same age. You can imagine our group chat has A LOT to cover.

Try to picture the different settings: I can be getting ready to go dancing on Saturday while a friend is getting a baby ready for bed. We're both choosing an outfit, but one of us is hoping nobody spits up on it. I'd like to say that's definitely the parent, but I've seen enough nights out to avoid making promises.

I also have friends learning what it's like to share a home with a partner. I also tried that; it went wrong, now I live on my own. Long story short, I survived. But I know what it's like to figure out routines together, deciding what to buy, making space for each other's things without leaving your own. At least now I can put my books wherever I want. I'm also the only person who washes the dishes.

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via daquan
It's funny to see how different our days can look. I want baby updates, apartment pictures, relationship news, and someone to come dancing with me this weekend. Ideally, the group can help with all that, although I understand that arranging one dinner together now requires a Google Calendar invitation after many negotiations.
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via daquan
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via sarcasm_only
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via comedyposts
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via 9gag
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via 9gag
What gets tiring is feeling that I'm supposed to fit every milestone into these years. Finish studying, graduate, find a good job, meet someone, move out, buy a home, start a family if you want to. Apart from all that stuff, I also have to remember if I already bought laundry detergent. Well, there's a lot going on right now. Living your twenties feels like figuring out what you want to do with your life, and that is not a fast or easy journey.
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via memezar
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via 9gag
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via ovary
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via ngiyawn.yt
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via @ovaryactorr
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via sarcasm_only
I don't think turning 30 should mean being able to check every box. Some of those things matter to me, while others matter to my friends more than they matter to me. I try to make decisions based on the life I want, instead of getting distracted by how quickly someone else is building theirs. And I think that's the key to figuring out what you want in life. This way, you care about what you do, not what everybody else does or what you are “supposed to be doing.”
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via @sweatermuppets
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via fboy
I'm happy for friends who want children. I think choosing not to have them deserves the same respect. People should have room to want different things and take different amounts of time getting there. At 27, I'm still studying, working, enjoying my place, and making weekend plans. I have friends whose lives are different from mine. The good thing is we always have something to tell each other!
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via sarcastic_us
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via ho**st
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via ngiyawn.yt
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via getnoice
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via theboyroomproject
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via females
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via beanexplains
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via 9gag
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via memezar