Shadowing Practice: figuring out my 20s: adjusting to adulthood - Learn English Speaking with Video

I feel like nobody talks about what your 20s are actually like.

They're a lot harder than it looks.

I feel like I'm always second guessing my career.

I'm still trying to make new friends in my 20s, which is hard.

Moving to a new city alone post-grad, I decided I just want to start documenting it and kind of figuring it out as I go.

I don't want this to be deep.

I just want it to be honest and this is me just figuring out my 20s except I'm filming it.

Starting off strong, the daily routine we already know by now.

I go to coffee shops to work because I need to get out of my apartment at least once a day.

I don't know what this says about me but I significantly more productive

when i leave

and i also just feel honestly a little bit less lonely being around other people even

if i'm not interacting with them and it's almost like i have co-workers this way

because i'm you know i work by myself a lot i guess co-workers might be a stretch

but you know what i'm saying never in my life have

i had strawberry tea i think i'm going to be getting

it often i didn't even know this existed i don't know

if i'm like the only one my new fixation is going to be this so

one of the stranger things for me the stranger things i'm

not talking about the show i have to like schedule almost

my calls now with my friends with my like mom my brother as i get older everyone's like

so busy and i still want to make time for the people

that i love

but i feel like i don't call people on a whim

as much anymore i like have to like really be intentional

about it enough to say i'm calling my mom on her lunch break at work just to say hi

because i miss her hi work on planning the trip a little bit tonight

i absolutely dread cleaning out my closet i hate it i

hate it i think i just like hate making decisions i'm

so indecisive i feel like i can't let go of these clothes even

if i haven't worn something for six months i feel some sort of deep attachment to it

and i can't get rid of it i really i'm starting to think i should unpack

that at a later time i try to do like mini

little resets of my closet every couple months versus once a

year doing a whole clean out i think it's like a lot easier

that way being in my 20s truly is just full of mini resets i'm constantly resetting something

I actually found this organization that comes and picks up my donations for me.

I usually do it like once a month so it's been really helpful

and kind of just like makes me more motivated to get rid of stuff.

I know this doesn't look that drastic but I have two piles.

This one is a pile of stuff that I need to get hemmed.

Unfortunately all of my pants need to get hemmed.

If you guys have any like short girl pants brands very niche let me know because this is always my issue.

And then this pile is stuff that I'm donating.

I already feel like 30 times better after that.

My mind feels like so much clearer.

I am gonna get ready though because I'm gonna go to a little soul cycle class.

I do need to make some dinner prior

but I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit with my workouts.

Specifically I'm trying to go to like new or just different workout classes than I usually do.

Honestly a lot of it I think for me is social.

I find that I meet new people at classes.

I like make new friends.

Well honestly actually I never really make friends but that's the point.

That's what I'm trying to do.

Not even friends I guess.

I'm just trying to like socialize a little bit more.

I haven't gone to SoulCycle in I think like over two years.

It's been so long.

So I'm prompt to sign up for a class 20 minutes ago for later tonight.

So I'm just gonna chill for a bit and then I think start dinner soon.

I have a special delivery.

I'm making dinner for my boyfriend and I.

It's kind of become like our little routine.

He'll come over after work.

I make our Green Chef meal.

I'm really excited to be working with Green Chef again.

They take care of grocery shopping the meal prep all of the like dirty work

that i don't like

and i just have to put it together one of my favorite things is

that you can customize your box based on your wellness goals

they have a ton of different options like mediterranean high fiber high protein

and tonight we're gonna try their turmeric turkey tagine i was

even telling my mom to order her first box i was trying to convince her

and i think she already ordered it so

if you're also interested in checking it out you can head to green chef.com

or click the link below

and use Use code 50SID to get 50% off plus free

shipping on your first Green Chef box plus 20% off for two months.

That's just code 50SID at GreenChef.com to get 50% off plus

free shipping on your first Green Chef box plus 20% off for two months.

Code 50SID, GreenChef.com.

Let's get to work.

It smells good.

All right, it is time to make the sauce now.

This may be wrong of me, but I was so excited to try this that I didn't wait for him.

I just tried a little bit while I was waiting for him to come home from work, and it was so good.

Dinner is ready.

I served it up.

This is so good, guys.

He doesn't even know the best meal he's about to have is this.

Safe to say we did both love it.

And we had just such a great little date night together.

I just said a whole like two-minute spiel and I realized I didn't even press record.

So here I go again.

I'm on my way to a SoulCycle class.

I cannot remember the last time I was in a SoulCycle class.

And I kind of forget how to like strap in and like do the whole like getting yourself in the bike situation.

A little nervous about that.

100

But you know what?

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I'm just going to ask for help.

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Whenever I just try to do things on my own, it's just like why don't I ask for help? humility is

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a strength okay wow i'm inspiring right now i tried to ask a couple of my friends

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if they could go with me but because it was

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so last minute none of them could and that's all right you know

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that is okay i think it's good to do things alone

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i've discovered soul cycle classes are one of the harder places

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to film i can't really just like like whip up my phone in the middle of a cycling class.

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I feel very out of shape actually reflecting on this.

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So my butt is sore.

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I forgot that that happens when you sit on a bike after not having sat on a bike in a while.

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So something about SoulCycle I love.

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I actually missed it so much and I think I wanna go back more.

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I usually try to go to classes with like artists or playlists that I like.

115

This time, I just kind of signed up super last minute.

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So I went to a random one.

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So this one ended up being 2000s Throwbacks.

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And it kind of just reminded me of all the songs that I heard in Applebee's when I was a child.

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There is such thing as Applebee's music, okay?

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I don't know how to explain it.

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I don't know if anyone relates.

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But there are certain songs like Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson.

123

Perfect example.

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It's an Applebee's song.

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And it always will be an Applebee's song.

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Love that song.

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I really do.

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Anyways, I think I'm back on my SoulCycle journey.

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So you guys will probably be seeing

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that in my upcoming vlogs I'm already looking at the new schedule

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and trying to see the classes coming up tate mcrae I'm

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getting ready to go to an art cafe with my roommate

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and friend olivia finding activities that you can do with your friends Are just sometimes like

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so much more fun than just going out to get food all the time You kind of just like go there.

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It's almost like a restaurant But like you order on the menu the type of art

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that you want to make it's been a while since i've been there So i'm really excited.

137

I love a little girls night and I feel so refreshed and I feel so good after my little workout so so

138

the art cafe was i would say it's a success for me i was happy with my little cards

139

and you know one of my like love languages now i've realized is gift giving

140

so i thought why not like make some personalized cards for my friends for their birthdays

141

and stuff are they like picasso level no

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no and you know what they never will be even

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if you don't have a type of cafe like this near you

144

because like growing up in minnesota for me there's not stuff

145

like this close by you can like organize stuff like this

146

with your friends like go out get this stuff for it

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you don't really need to go somewhere expensive i am going to upgrade my microphone soon it's a pending project my

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my team is working on it my team is myself it is overdue for a little advice segment on here

149

so i thought i would read a dm you guys know i do this anonymously i'm 25

150

and i feel like i chose the wrong career path everyone around me seems

151

so confident and i feel stuck how did you know what you wanted to do there is

152

so much pressure in our 20s

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and late teens to know exactly what we're going to do and expectations

154

that like for some reason we're going to know exactly what we want to do by the time we graduate

155

and that is not realistic.

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I don't think your 20s are about choosing perfectly right away.

157

I think it's about trying things and testing things and seeing kind of what you like.

158

You're allowed to pivot.

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You're allowed to change your mind.

160

You're allowed to try different things and like outgrow maybe a career

161

that you once thought you wanted after trying it for a little bit.

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And I think trying something even if you learn that you don't like it that

163

is a success because then you learn something about yourself

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and you learn what you like and what you're good at

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or maybe what you don't like and what you're not good at and any information I think is valuable.

166

For me, I know some of you might think

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that I never have questioned my career and that this just fell into my lap.

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Obviously, I feel so grateful.

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I can't even begin to explain but there's a lot of times especially after I graduated college where I questioned, you know, is this something I want to still do?

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Am I gonna burn out?

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Like I've been doing this for 10 years.

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Is this like the right career path for me still?

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I still question myself honestly all the time Everyone seems

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so successful nowadays and with social media especially it just seems like everybody's doing

175

so well For me college

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and like learning about different areas Drew me to a lot of different things

177

that I might potentially want to do in the future

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But for now I really enjoy what i'm doing and i'm so happy Yeah, just try not to put too much pressure on yourself and try things.

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That's my best advice

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anyways i love you guys i'm gonna go to sleep i'm

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falling asleep i think as i'm saying this thanks for watching and i'll see you in my next video bye

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Who Will Benefit from This Video?

This video is perfect for intermediate English learners aiming to practice conversational fluency and understand real-life adult experiences. If you want to learn English with YouTube while exploring relatable topics like navigating your 20s, this is a great fit. The speaker’s casual, honest tone mirrors everyday speech, making it ideal for shadowing technique practice—you’ll pick up natural phrasing and rhythm without formal scripts.

Words & Idioms Worth Stealing

Second guessing: Doubting a decision. Example: “I’m always second guessing my career.”
On a whim: Without planning. Example: “I don’t call people on a whim anymore.”
Mini resets: Small, regular changes to improve a routine. Example: “Being in my 20s is full of mini resets.”
Push myself out of my comfort zone: Try new things that feel uncomfortable. Example: “I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone with workouts.”

How to Get the Accent Right

Focus on the speaker’s relaxed intonation—she stresses key emotions like “harder,” “lonely,” and “clearer” to convey feeling. Notice how she shortens phrases, like “I don’t know what this says about me” (natural flow, not over-enunciated). For shadow speak practice, pause the video and repeat her sentences, matching her pace and emphasis. A shadowing site could help you record and compare, but even repeating aloud will build confidence. Pay attention to casual contractions (“I’m,” “don’t”)—they make your speech sound more native. Try shadowing the part about “strawberry tea” to mimic her excited tone!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	I've been trying · I've been doing
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	haven't worn · haven't gone · i've discovered
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain	might be · may be · might think
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was trying · was waiting

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: figuring out my 20s: adjusting to adulthood - Learn English Speaking with Video

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