Page 110 of my 400-page Autobiography

My twenties were awesome.  Young, but old enough to do adult things.  Immature, but still mature enough to carry out necessary tasks.  Irresponsible, but still responsible enough to do what was needed.  I loved being in my twenties.  

The one thing I cherish and miss the most about being young is the fitness level.  You see, no matter how hard I try, I can't be fit and old.  My antique limbs just won't carry out those next one-hundred steps needed to get my daily exercise done for the day. If it's not my back one day, it's my hip the other. When I was twenty, the only thing I had to worry about was cramping from running 5-miles. I was young and fit and I looked amazing.  That's another thing I miss: a fit, toned, body.  I was still young enough to maintain a fast metabolism, so I didn't gain weight as fast as I do now. Without even preparing, running two-miles was an easy task to complete. When I was twenty, I remember running three-miles every morning I felt like running. Now, I never feel like running, and even if I did, I wouldn't make the first hundred meters. 

When I turned twenty-one, it was a big deal.  I was able to drink without breaking the rules and that was something I took advantage of the following days.  I had a party with my closest friends and we went out to the clubs and danced.  Those friends were probably the best I ever had (minus the high school friends I had, referred to on page 38) and they made that party fun. Not only did I have fun... I was pretty, how you say, drunk, by the end of the night.  I have to admit, it wasn't my first time drinking alcohol, but it was my first time drinking it in considerable amounts (since I was legal and all). It was the first time I got fully drunk and the first time I vomited on myself before falling asleep.  Both engagingly trippy and disgusting.  I think that's what led me to be such a straightedge when I turned 32 (skip to page 231 for more).  Either that, or the fact that alcohol and drugs aren't good for the mind or body.  But I didn't know that when I was twenty, so I guess that was one downfall to being young: being extremely ignorant and naive.  However, at the time, I didn't care.  I was young, smart, and good-looking, so what does that matter to me?  

My early twenties was also when I finished up college. I earned my Master's degree in Pharmaceutical studies at the age of 22, and it was well worth it.  After studying at University of Illinois, I think I deserved the degree and I did great things (if I do say so myself).  I opened up a small pharmacy in my hometown (Saipan*) and at first, business was a bit slow.  I earned probably $85,000 a year for the first 2-3 years, so it was enough to get by.  Living by myself was worth it, because I didn't have to deal with neighbors or annoying friends that I loved, but didn't want to have to see every day.