Paulina's Story

Exiting Our Twenties

Episode 6 – Paulina's Story

“Just because you have the opportunity to do something, doesn’t mean you should.”

In Episode 6, Paulina from NYC shares how FOMO shaped her twenties.

After growing up feeling like she missed out on a lot, Paulina was determined to live life to the fullest. But in going full throttle, she sometimes went too far and faced serious consequences. Through candid stories from college and her study abroad, Paulina reflects on the lessons she learned about balancing personal safety and responsibility with the desire to live an unforgettable life.

Also on the show, Paulina and Berkeley explore the tension between FOMO and what we truly want, how alcohol and social media disconnect us from the present, and the importance of learning to ask ourselves, “Aren’t you satisfied?”

You’ll relate to Paulina’s story if you’ve ever:

• Wanted your life to feel like a movie—or caught yourself constantly scrolling your camera roll
• Felt the urge to challenge yourself and make every moment count
• Made potentially dangerous decisions when you had no one to answer to for the first time
• Hid what was really going on from your parents to keep them from worrying
• Realized not every day will be fun and exciting
• Regretted losing memories to drinking
• Struggled to feel satisfied while comparing your life to everyone else’s online

Resources from the Episode

Paulina’s Recommended Reading:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne

Berkeley’s Recommended Reading:
Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker – A quit-lit classic that changed Berkeley’s life. Part memoir, part feminist call to arms, this book invites women to reconsider what we believe about alcohol and ask a powerful question: Is drinking actually making my life better?

Meet Your Host: Berkeley Joy Mashburn
Berkeley is a former political campaigner turned PR strategist enjoying the end of her twenties (she turns 30 in August). After years of private scribbling and longing for the right creative outlet, she realized nothing inspires her more than intimate conversations with friends about their unique—yet relatable—lives. On Exiting Our Twenties, Berkeley interviews old friends and new about pivotal experiences in their twenties. She hopes to bring hope and confidence to women of all ages and remind those nearing thirty that the best is yet to come.

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Chapters

1. Paulina's Story (00:00:00)

2. Get to Know Paulina (00:01:55)

3. Paulina at 20 (00:06:34)

4. Feeling Seen by the Enneagram (00:09:31)

5. Paulina Picks a Day To Relive From Her Twenties (00:13:46)

6. Paulina's Story: Studying Abroad on the Other Side of the Planet (00:17:50)

7. Paulina's Story: Being a Little Bit Reckless (00:21:06)

8. Paulina’s Story: "I Felt Like I Was Catching Up" (00:26:40)

9. Paulina’s Story: The One Day Paulina Would Change (00:29:42)

10. Learning to Be Satisfied (00:35:58)

11. Wanting Our Lives to Be Like a Movie (00:42:27)

12. Losing Cherished Memories to Alcohol (00:46:12)

13. How Paulina Deals with FOMO Today (00:52:13)

14. Paulina's Goals for Her Thirties (00:58:00)

15. Outro / How to Join Us on the Show (01:01:37)