She imagined her twenties as in Sex and the City. With the modern apartment, the serious job, the beautiful wardrobe…
And then, adult life? On paper, Amélie Duplessis-Tellier is living the life she always dreamed of. In reality, it’s a bit more complicated. “It’s like I got to this standard that I set for myself and I realized that I wasn’t that ready, you know? she mused aloud.
It’s a pleasant morning, without a cloud on the horizon. Sitting in the shade of a tree in an anonymous park in the South-West, the young woman sips a coffee. At first impression, Amélie seems to belong to that rare category of people who have their lives in order before turning 25: a job in a large marketing agency, a master’s degree soon in hand, a renovated apartment with a terrace on the roof…
Does she feel as grown up as she looks? Amélie hesitates for a moment. In terms of first times, the last year was busy: first apartment, first real job. Yes, she feels adult, “more than ever” even, but she is still adjusting to this new label.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Amélie Duplessis-Tellier, 24 years old
Everything was done so drastically. It seems like I became an adult overnight. I was like: give me two seconds!
Amelie, 24 years old
Make no mistake: Amélie couldn’t wait to reach this stage of her life. When she was younger, she was the type to be interested in everything, to get involved in one project to launch into another. The law interested him. Politics and history too. The possibilities were endless, and that’s what was exciting.
At 24, it’s different. We realize that we have to make choices, the right ones, and preferably the first time. We realize that there is no longer anyone to show us the way, no one to blame except ourselves.
To be an adult is to assume full responsibility for one’s future. “For me, that’s what scares me. You are left to yourself. It’s up to you to take control of your life,” says Amélie. To pay the bills, to make appointments, but also to choose your dreams, to set your limits. “You become who you want to become. If you have a dream, there is no one stopping you from realizing it, except you”, she underlines.
A few months ago, Amélie left home to move in with her boyfriend. It is undoubtedly a decisive stage in the life of a young adult, which marks both their emancipation and the end of a chapter.
This is a sometimes underestimated aspect of the transition to adult life: mourning the only life known so far. For Amélie, the transition was not easy.
I realized that I could no longer see my parents every day and be as close to them as before.
Amelie, 24 years old
Obviously she likes to live with her boyfriend and she appreciates this new independence. But she also misses her parents. And feels a pinch in the heart each time she leaves them after a visit.
Little by little, Amélie learns to make peace with her relationships which, inevitably, are transformed, because that is the nature of life, to change. Besides, change doesn’t always have to be sad. Going to an apartment allowed him to discover his parents in a new light and to appreciate their company “as equals”. “Things are changing and that’s okay. My biggest challenge is accepting to leave them behind,” she says.
It is sometimes said that life does things well. Amélie believes it. She went exactly where she had imagined herself, with the serious job, the modern apartment. . As in Sex and the City.
But now, the reality is rarely as smooth as on TV. And becoming an adult evokes a host of complex emotions. “I am extremely grateful. Everything is fine. But there’s a part of me that feels a little guilty for being sad, because it’s just beautiful, what’s going on, she concludes. It’s a challenge, but I’m really excited for the future. Because if I take control in my life, I can do anything. »