If there is one important thing I’ve realized about life this semester its this—time goes by way too quickly, and it seems like just yesterday I was a nervous first-day freshman moving into my dorm, meeting so many new people and thinking to myself, “Wow, these are the next four years of my life.”
Before you know it, you’re gonna wake up and have a job, have a husband or wife, possibly even kids, and you’re gonna be looking back on your teenage years thinking, “Damn, I wish I would have done that.” So, here’s a list of the top ten things you should do before you turn twenty.
Go on a road trip with friends: Take some time off of work or school and get on the road! Pick up your closest friends, drive across the country, and explore. Go to a music festival in another state, visit national parks, monuments, or museums. Just get out and explore!
Learn a foreign language, then travel somewhere where you’ll use it. What could be more exciting than ordering a meal in perfect local dialect in a foreign country where no one speaks English? Learn a language you’ve always wanted to speak, explore the country, and eat their food! Open yourself up to new cultures and new experiences and you’ll learn more about the world than you’ve ever learned in one of your “European Culture” classes.
Try out a new style: Whether it is trying out new clothes, getting a different hairstyle, or changing the way you approach people and tasks—try something new! People say, don’t knock it till you try it, so why not try as much as possible!?
Fall in love, and get your heart broken: Out of all the things you can do in life, I would say this is the most important. Everyone needs a first love, along with a first heartbreak. Both will teach you a lot about life and a lot about yourself.
Let go of a friendship: We all have a friend who is simply toxic. They do nothing but bring you down or cause drama in your life, yet you find it hard to let it go. Take a stand for your own sake, and cut the ties neatly. You’re practically an adult—you don’t need dead weight, you need true friends, the ones who will be there the day you get married and the ones who help you better yourself without putting you down.
Treat yourself: Whether you splurge on something you’ve wanted for a long time, pamper yourself to a day at the spa, or just take some time to relax with a nice bubble bath and some John Mayer, take some time to treat yourself every once in a while after a stressful day.
Climb to the top of a mountain: There’s nothing more rewarding than climbing to the top of a mountain and taking in the beauty around you Find a mountain, go to it, climb the shit out of that mountain, and enjoy the view. You won’t experience anything better than that in your lifetime.
Kick an old habit: Lets be honest with ourselves– we all have at least one bad habit we’d be much better off without. They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit, and 21 as well to kick an old one. So take 21 short days and better yourself; quit smoking, gossiping, procrastinating, biting your nails, or whatever it is you’d like to stop doing!
Take some time alone to fall in love with yourself: It amazes me how many people I’ve met who have never spent some quality time alone. Take some time off from socializing and school work and just relax by yourself. Watch a movie, make yourself dinner, take a bubble bath! Whatever you do, fall in love with yourself. Accept all of your flaws, set some goals for yourself, and just fall in love with being you.
Find something you’re passionate about: If you don’t already have something you’re passionate about, go out and find it. It can be anything– a cause, a hobby, religion, traveling… anything! Take an art class, start exercising, learn to cook, volunteer for an organization that you’re interested in. Find something that makes you truly happy and inspires you, and share it with the world.
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