The 10 Moves Everyone Makes in Their 20s

There are many inescapable rites of passage in your 20s: disastrous relationships, existential crises, and regrettable nights out, just to name a few. Among these staple post-grad experiences, too, are the myriad apartment-to-apartment moves. Whether you’re trying to save some cash, find more room, or give a relationship a real shot, it’s likely you’ll pack up everything you own in cardboard boxes and rent a moving van more than once before you hit 30. Here, the 10 moves almost everyone makes in their 20s:

Just as your parents started enjoying their new lives as empty nesters… Surprise! You’re back! You spend a few months convincing your parents of how “adult” you’ve become until, eventually, everyone falls back into their old routines. You let laundry pile up in your room (because someone will do it for you anyway), and, in return, your parents start talking about “curfew.”

Even though you’re still avoiding household chores, you suddenly realize—somewhere between your morning coffee and nightly procedural drama routines—your parents are actually cool people and you enjoy hanging out with them???

Pretty soon, you’re voluntarily attending high school football games decked out in memorabilia… with your parents.

You’ve escaped your hometown and college town—and you’re finally moving to the city like you’ve always dreamed!

Except it’s not like your dreams at all? For some reason you don’t have that beautiful balcony overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, or those Greenwich Village steps, or that trendy L.A. bungalow. (That reason, of course, is money!)

Still, you’re so stoked to be there you barely notice the mismatched, hand-me-down IKEA furniture (it’s so comfy!), the hour-long commute to work (I *love* a good podcast!), and the mysterious stains on the ceiling (Wait… what are those?!).

Maybe your landlord decided to sell the apartment and conveniently “forgot” to mention you need to be out by the end of the month until… today. Or maybe you discovered your roommate doesn’t stop singing. Or, of course, you had plenty of time to find a new apartment, but you just procrastinated until the last possible minute (No shame! Sometimes color-coding your books and rewatching every episode of “The Office” for a third time just has to take priority!)

Either way, you end up in the same place: On the verge of tears, waiting for a stranger to add you to a random Facebook group, where you will find a windowless-closet of a room in an apartment share with five “artists” and a dog.

Oh, and of course, the night before moving day, you’ll be up until 2 a.m. before moving day packing and cleaning. (“The Office” has nine seasons and you have a lot of books!)

But—somehow—it ends up all working out! Your roommates are all gems and that’s one very lovable mutt! (Yet, you still don’t learn your lesson—the next move is just as hectic!)

You spent years living with random Internet people, your college bestie, and that person you definitely thought you were going to marry. But after moldy dishes in the sink, loud music at 3 a.m., and too many random hookups, you now hate all of them (especially your ex!) The only viable roommate for you? Your own shadow.

So you find a teeny studio apartment that costs about half your monthly income. It may not be beautiful now, but you have grand decoration plans (Plant children! Terrazzo accents! Lots and lots of framed vintage prints!)

Unfortunately, your paycheck’s meager remnants don’t cover your CB2 wishlist… so inherited furniture it is (again!)

Despite this, you really do think it’s all worth the cash to live alone. You don’t have to wear pants or a bra inside your house like… ever!

A landlord who loved to make surprise visits. A psychologically-damaging situation with bed bugs. A partner who wanted to “try seeing other people” because “we’re still so young!”: This series of truly unfortunate events mean you’re on your third move in eight months. (Yes, it’s possible!)

All your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances, and Twitter followers can recount this Kafkaesque journey you’ve been on—and boy, they do not envy you!

On the bright side, you only have a couple of boxes to move now since you burned most of your things after the bed bugs. And everything else that was left? Inadvertently Marie-Kondo’ed because you are not going back to your ex’s to pick it up!

You never thought this day would come: You move into a place you actually… love! It’s beautiful, well-priced, and on the third floor. The neighbors seem nice, quiet, and most importantly, normal! You’re shocked that you can actually afford some of the furniture you want ~and~ not just the stuff that’s cheap and vaguely tolerable to the eye. (If you wait a bit, you might even be able to afford those $80 pillows your heart’s set on!)

Wait… that’s right: Your 30th birthday was last week—this is less of a rite of passage in your 20s, and more of a reward for getting through them! (You deserve your space!)

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