My Journey Through the Eras

A Nostalgic Trip Back in Time

There’s something about looking back that fills me with equal parts nostalgia and “what was I thinking?” Born in 1982, I had the pleasure (and occasional embarrassment) of growing up through some seriously iconic eras. From the neon madness of the ’80s to the grungy coolness of the ’90s, and into the tech explosion of the 2000s, each decade left its unique mark on me. So, let’s take a fun little trip down memory lane, my memory lane, to be exact. If you were there too, you’ll likely find yourself nodding along. And if you weren’t, well, consider this your crash course in what you missed.

The ’80s: Shell Suits, Rainbow Brite, and Saturday Morning Cartoons

Ah, the ’80s. As a kid, this decade felt like one giant, colourful, and slightly chaotic playground. Everything seemed louder, brighter, and just… more. It was a time when fashion didn’t just make statements it screamed them.

Fashion: Neon, Shell Suits, and Big, Bold Choices

Let’s talk about fashion or what passed for fashion in the ’80s. As a kid, I wasn’t immune to the style choices of the time. My wardrobe was a rainbow of neon colours, shell suits that could start a fire with the amount of static they generated, and scrunchies that seemed to match every outfit. And who could forget the oversized T-shirts with cartoon characters plastered on the front? Looking back, it’s a wonder we didn’t all glow in the dark.

Fashion in the ’80s was all about standing out, and as children, we embraced it fully whether we looked good in it or not. We all thought we were the epitome of cool, even as we walked around looking like human highlighters.

Entertainment: Saturday Morning Bliss with Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, and She-Ra

Saturday mornings in the ’80s were pure bliss. I’d wake up early, grab a bowl of cereal, and settle in front of the TV for hours of cartoons. Shows like Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, and She-Ra were essential viewing. These weren’t just cartoons they were magical worlds that I couldn’t wait to escape into every week.

And let’s not forget the toys that went along with these shows. My room was filled with Rainbow Brite dolls, Care Bears plushies, and She-Ra action figures. I’d spend hours recreating the adventures I saw on TV, convinced that my toys were the key to unlocking the same kind of magic in my own life.

School Days: The Simplicity of It All

School in the ’80s was a far cry from today’s tech heavy classrooms. We had chalkboards, overhead projectors, and textbooks that looked like they’d been passed down for generations. My biggest worries were whether I’d get picked for the rounders team at break time or if I’d manage to swap my Wagon Wheel for a Kit Kat at lunch.

The school uniform was another story. My mum seemed determined to send me off to school looking like I’d stepped out of a catalogue everything perfectly ironed, my hair in pigtails, and a smile plastered on my face. Of course, by the time I actually arrived at school, the pigtails were half undone, and my shoes were scuffed from kicking stones on the walk there. But that was all part of the charm of being a kid in the ’80s.

The ’90s: Grunge, Take That, and the Last Generation of Freedom

Then came the ’90s, and with them, a whole new vibe. I went from playing with Polly Pockets to listening to Nirvana and the Spice Girls in what felt like the blink of an eye. The ’90s were all about finding your identity or at least trying to.

Fashion: From Scrunchies to Flannel

Fashion in the ’90s was a wild ride. One minute I was sporting scrunchies and butterfly clips, and the next I was raiding the local shops for band tees and flannel shirts. It was a decade that embraced contradiction grunge one day, Girl Power the next.

I remember the first time I wore a choker necklace and felt like the coolest person in the room. And those platform trainers oh, how I loved them, even though they made me wobble like a newborn giraffe. The ’90s were a time when we all tried on different identities, sometimes literally, through our clothes.

Music: My Personal Soundtrack, Pausing the Charts, and Tapes

The ’90s were a musical buffet, and I was more than happy to sample everything on offer. The grunge movement spoke to the angsty teenager in me, while the Spice Girls made me want to take over the world with my friends by my side. I spent hours listening to cassette tapes on my Walkman, rewinding favourite songs with a pencil when the tape inevitably got tangled.

And every Sunday, like clockwork, I’d sit by the radio with a blank tape, ready to record the Top 40. The trick was to hit “pause” just before the DJ started talking and “unpause” at the perfect moment to catch the next song. It was a delicate art, and I wasn’t the only one who mastered it. I wasn’t above calling the radio station to request my favourite songs, just to make sure they made it onto my tape.

And let’s not forget Take That. The boy band that stole my heart and probably a fair bit of my pocket money. Posters of them covered my bedroom walls, and their songs were on constant rotation. I might have shed a tear or two when they announced their breakup in 1996 it felt like the end of an era.

The Last Generation of Freedom: The Joys of a Pager and Playing Outside

One thing that stands out about growing up in the ’90s is the freedom we had something that feels a bit lost in today’s hyper connected world. We were the last generation to experience true freedom as kids. Our parents didn’t have trackers on our phones (because we didn’t have phones), and we were expected to come home when the streetlights came on. I remember riding bikes for hours, exploring parks, and spending entire days outside without a care in the world.

Before smartphones, I had a pager. I’d feel a buzz and rush to find a payphone to call back whoever had beeped me. Then came the era of the Nokia 3310 a brick of a phone that could survive anything, including being dropped a million times. And let’s not forget the game “Snake,” which was as addictive as it was simple.

Eventually, I graduated to a BlackBerry, thinking I’d made it. Little did I know that in a few short years, the iPhone would change everything, making the BlackBerry feel as dated as that old pager.

Dial-Up Internet and Blockbuster Nights

The internet became a major part of life in the ’90s, but getting online wasn’t as easy as it is now. My first experience with the internet involved waiting impatiently as my computer made that awful dial up noise. like a robot having a meltdown just to connect. The phrase “You’ve got mail” was genuinely exciting back then, thanks to AOL, even if it was mostly spam.

AOL chat rooms were all the rage, and I spent more time than I’d like to admit chatting with strangers about everything and nothing. It was a time when the internet felt like a small world a place where you could explore without too much worry. Of course, the downside was that if someone picked up the phone, you were suddenly booted offline, which often led to some choice words under my breath.

Email became a big deal, too. I remember setting up my first email account, feeling a sense of pride and excitement. Of course, it wasn’t long before I realised that most emails were either from my mum or someone trying to sell me something, but that didn’t diminish the thrill.

Before streaming took over, Friday nights often meant a trip to Blockbuster. I can still remember the feeling of walking through those aisles, trying to decide which VHS or DVD to rent for the weekend. The excitement of choosing a movie, grabbing some popcorn, and heading home to watch it was a ritual in itself. Of course, there was always the panic of finding out that the film you wanted had already been rented, leading to a frantic search for a second choice movie.

The 2000s: Reality TV, Social Media, and Growing Up (Sort Of)

By the time the 2000s rolled around, I was on the brink of adulthood or so I thought. The world was changing fast, and I was trying to keep up. This was the decade when reality TV took over, social media was born, and I started to realise that being an adult wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

Reality TV: Guilty Pleasures and Cultural Shifts

Reality TV exploded in the 2000s, and like everyone else, I was hooked. Shows like Big Brother and Pop Idol became cultural phenomena, and suddenly we were all invested in the lives of complete strangers. I remember spending entire evenings glued to the TV, voting for my favourite contestants and discussing the latest episodes with friends.

It was also the era of Paris Hilton, who became famous for… well, being famous. The 2000s were a strange time when reality and entertainment blurred, and we were all more than happy to watch.

Social Media: From MySpace to Facebook

The rise of social media in the 2000s was both exciting and a bit overwhelming. MySpace was the first big thing, and I spent hours customising my profile, choosing the perfect song to play when someone visited my page, and stressing over who to put in my top eight. It felt like a way to express myself and connect with friends, even if it was all a bit superficial.

Then Facebook came along and changed the game. Suddenly, everyone was on it, and we were all sharing more about our lives than ever before. I remember the excitement of reconnecting with old school friends, only to realise that some friendships were probably better left in the past. But that’s the beauty of social media, right? It’s a constant reminder of how much (or how little) we’ve changed.

As much as I enjoyed the early days of social media, there was also a growing pressure to present a perfect version of myself online. The need to curate my life to fit the idealised images I saw on everyone else’s profiles became a strange new norm. I found myself wondering if I was doing it all wrong, comparing my behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. It was a learning curve, to say the least.

The 2010s and Beyond: Smartphones, Streaming, and Adulting (Sort Of)

By the time the 2010s rolled around, I was supposed to be a fully-fledged adult. But as anyone who’s been there knows, “adulting” is a bit of a myth. The 2010s were about figuring out how to balance work, life, and everything in between, all while trying not to get too overwhelmed by the constant stream of information at our fingertips.

Smartphones: The Evolution from Pagers to iPhones

If there’s one piece of technology that has completely reshaped how we live, it’s the smartphone. By the 2010s, these little devices had become an essential part of daily life. I remember my first smartphone and the thrill of being able to check emails, browse the web, and even take decent photos, all from one device. It was a far cry from the days of my pager or the indestructible Nokia 3310.

And let’s not forget the BlackBerry era where having a BlackBerry was a status symbol, and BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) was the quickest way to chat with friends. But in a few short years, the iPhone revolutionised everything, making the BlackBerry feel as ancient as that old pager. Now, we had apps, games, and the entire internet at our fingertips, and life would never be the same.

With the iPhone came the end of some things we loved. Remember how we used to memorise phone numbers? Or how we’d print out directions before going on a road trip? Those days are long gone, replaced by contacts lists and GPS apps. Smartphones made life easier in many ways, but they also tethered us to the digital world in ways we never could have imagined.

Streaming: Goodbye, DVDs

Remember when watching a movie meant popping a DVD into the player? The 2010s changed all that with the rise of streaming services like Netflix. Suddenly, we could watch entire seasons of shows in one sitting, and binge watching became a thing. I may have spent more than a few weekends glued to the couch, powered by snacks and the need to find out what happened next.

Streaming also meant we no longer had to deal with scratched discs or the dreaded “This title is out of stock” message at the video rental store. Instead, we had a world of entertainment at our fingertips, ready to be consumed at any time. It was a revelation, one that completely changed how we consume media.

There’s a certain nostalgia, though, for the days of Blockbuster. Browsing the aisles, reading the back of VHS or DVD cases, trying to decide on the perfect movie for the weekend it was an experience in itself. Streaming is convenient, but it’s hard to replicate the excitement of choosing a movie and then racing home to watch it with friends or family.

Conclusion: A Journey Well Worth the Ride

Looking back on the eras I’ve lived through, I can’t help but smile. From the neon excess of the ’80s to the grungy ’90s and the tech driven 2000s, each decade has shaped me in ways big and small. Sure, there were cringeworthy fashion choices, questionable technology, and more than a few awkward moments along the way. But there were also incredible memories, lifelong friendships, and lessons that continue to shape who I am today.

As much as I sometimes miss the simplicity of the past, I’m grateful for the journey and excited for whatever comes next. After all, if these decades have taught me anything, it’s that life is full of surprises some good, some bad, and some downright hilarious.

So here’s to growing up, one decade at a time. If you’re reading this and nodding along, just know you’re not alone. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all got the stories to prove it. And if you weren’t there? Well, now you know what you missed.