I celebrated my friend Kate’s Birthdays last weekend. We spent the morning swinging gracefully from the treetops, the evening drinking cocktails by the marina and 
the early hours of the morning watching Adam Sadler romantic comedy gold.
What more could you want from a twenty-sixth Birthday?
You heard right. Twenty-six. We are no longer going to be part of the early twenties club. That part of our lives is over. We may get away with saying we are mid-twenties, but, when push comes to shove, the truth of the matter is, we are closing in on those thirties. Closer and closer each day.
It appears that my five-year-plan is not doing too well. By this age I should be married with at least one bonny babe bouncing on my knee. Perhaps it should be replaced with a twenty-year-plan. That way I could be well on track still.
The week started with my best friend announcing that she is moving to London. Not only is she moving to London, she is moving to London by the end of the month. When she told me I felt a mixture of emotions. Of course, I am ridiculously happy for her, and delighted that she has the opportunity to move into the thrilling unknown. But, then I felt something different. I was gutted that she was leaving, but it also struck a chord. I suddenly realised, it is coming up to three years from when I left ICU. That means it has been three years since I came out of my coma. Three long years. Everyone tells me I have come so far, but I feel like I am nowhere near where I want to be. That five-year-plan feels further away than ever.
When I think about how my friends’ lives are flourishing; with Faith heading off to be an officer in the Army, Ally giving birth to a beautiful baby boy called George, and Jacob a fully qualified Doctor making all sorts of life saving decisions every day; it makes me question what I have been doing these past few years.
Everyone always tells me how great it is that I spend my time volunteering, but what happens when that just isn’t enough anymore?
And so those two dreaded words come to mind.
Job.
Applications.
Anyone who pays attention to any form of news will know how difficult it is for young people to get on the career ladder these days. Not that I would necessarily put myself in the young people category, but I most definitely agree that searching for a job is no mean feat.
You hear about all those people who got ‘Daddy’ to get them a job, and then there are those who just ‘fell into it’, but from my experience, most people have to spend hours filling in job applications to find the key to career happiness.
And so this week will be spent applying for jobs.
And hopefully, with any luck, before I join my friend in the late twenties club, I will have a job and be well on the way to completing my twenty-year-plan.
My Broken Brain 
Awesome!!! Good luck Liz! You will be on your way with that 5 year plan in no time!
Liz–Great post! I understand what you mean when you feel like you’re behind the curve and off your five-year plan. My own five-year plan changed April 8, 1989. At that point, my parents were not really concerned if I would go to college or get married; they were primarily concerned with whether I would make it through another day. As the days passed, though, the five-year plan for me changed, though. But although they changed, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist. Just because your five-year plan of being married with a baby bouncing on your knee didn’t materialize, you should still strive to make your dream come true. Use that energy to spur you onward, brave one, to achieve your aspirations and dreams! When I think of you, I think of country musician Jimmy Dean’s quote, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
I understand your feelings, but as a new 30 year old, I can tell you, don’t put limits on yourself! The only thing that’s bound to happen with a five year plan is disappointment. Life never ends up the way you plan for it to happen! I always thought I’d be married with four kiddos by now, and now I don’t even want one! The only thing that matters is being happy with YOU! 🙂
I have five year plans I just haven’t decided which five years to apply them too! No seriously it’s natural to make such plans but remember you make them based on past ambitions and present expectations. Alas future conditions arise that get in the way. Therefore no effective five year plan can ever be set in stone.
And it isn’t just Encephalitis survivors who are affected in this way. Five years ago I celebrated my cousin’s engagement to her lovely long term boyfriend. Almost four years ago on a warm September day I went to their fantastic (& not cheap) wedding. Today they are separated with divorce the horizon. It turned out that their post-wedding five year plans diversified that their life together was impossible. This doesn’t help in your own particular situation exactly but when you have a long term health condition it is easy to lose sight that the collapse of five year plans is, wait for it I’m going to use the ‘N’ word – normal!