There was no decade like the 90s. And while Gen X may be getting the short end of the stick in a lot of ways today, there was a time when they ruled the world, not with an iron fist, but with a Nintendo controller and a skateboard. The grass was greener, the sky was bluer, and there weren’t as many responsibilities.

Check out these 22 photos of Generation X arriving on the scene of the 90s and thriving. Whether you were in elementary school, high school, or college during that time period, you were showing up the Baby Boomers at every turn. Take a walk down memory lane to a world where Xers were young, wild, and free.