Now that we are mature, independent, young human beings, we hold the world at our fingertips. This is the time to do everything and anything we have ever contemplated doing...because, why not?
1. DOUBLE DIGITS! AGAIN!
Just like when we turned 10, on the cusp of adolescence, now we are 20, on the cusp of adulthood. We are no longer "teenagers." Scary? Yes, but also invigorating. This decade is going to be one of the most memorable and significant, as the onset of our adulthood… What does that mean? Well, we are sure to find out.
2. Turning 21: No more fakes!
Now that we’ve been drinking, bar-hopping, and buying alcohol illegally for a few years, what’s better than the relief of not getting caught? When we're 21, we will be able to show our REAL IDs to bouncers and bartenders, without that slight sense of fear and the uncertainty of getting it taken or denied. No more rushing to memorize our addresses and, let’s not forget the most important part, our zip codes.
3. Feeling 22!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t say I’m not a little excited to truly understand what Taylor means when she’s “feelin twenty-two-oo-oo!” Is it different than feeling 20, or 21? Well, we can only look forward to finding out the true meaning behind Taylor’s genius hit.
4. Nobody likes you when you’re 23…
Just kidding! Of course they will. Well, maybe Blink was right about our parents. 23 will be a great year, as we’re still young, not yet having to take on total responsibility for ourselves; we’ve just about finished with college and are still “figuring it out." Either that, or we’re working right out of college, which will still be exciting and new to us. Nonetheless, our parents are still trying to figure out how involved to be in our lives. There will be no other time like this: just out of college, not yet in an high-intensity work place, though that is the goal for some of us. We can finally take a deep breath and relax for just a quick second.
5. Spicin' Up Our Lives
Well, this will be a fun one. We’ll still be young enough to party, with the ability and energy to continue being social and efficient at work. Networking, socializing, and dating a bunch of different people will be vital to our early twenties. Date the wrong person. We will learn who and what we like, and who and what we don’t. Get your heart broken and learn from it. And don’t settle, we have plenty more time to find “the one."
6. Traveling
There’s no better time to travel than your 20s. Explore the world, meet new people; there is nothing more rewarding than exploring unfamiliar territory. We must give ourselves the opportunity to see things in a new light. Our twenties will be the most freedom we have, so we must take advantage of this and continue learning not only about different cultures, but ourselves.
7. No more studying!
Well, that type of studying (hopefully)… College will be over, and unless we are in grad school, our twenties can be useful for studying things more interesting to us, such as a new hobby, style, members of the opposite sex, or anything we want to focus on! Whether we try a new activity or find a new band we like, we no longer have to exert all of our attention on studying for school-related topics, but instead can focus on studying what is happening in our lives, in order to get a better understanding of the things we appreciate and enjoy. We will be able to be more present and in touch with ourselves, and therefore, our realties.
8. Living in a new place with our best friends
Now that we are out of college, and in search of our future significant others, who better to spend each and every night with than our best friends? Now is the time for us to go to a city we have always dreamed of exploring and share an apartment with our closest friends. We can even introduce our best friends from college to our best friends from childhood, and create our own versions of the infamous "Sex and the City" clique (if we haven't already). We have nothing but endless laughter and unforgettable memories to look forward to.
9. Reconnecting with our family
Yes, we will be newly independent, but let us not forget who we grew up with for the majority of our lives. Now that we are all “mature” and “of age," we have more in common and can reflect on the happy and absurd memories we shared together in the past. These are the people who have been there all along, so we must call up our parents, brothers and sisters, cousins, and even relatives (maybe once a year) and go out with them. Whether it be for lunch, dinner, or even a drink, it is important to keep our relationships with our family, as these are the people who will be here for us and love us unconditionally for the rest of our lives. We will be able to find and maybe even establish a different or new kind of relationship with our family members that we may not have been able to appreciate prior to our twenties.
10. Doing whatever the f*ck we want!
Now that we are in our twenties, we have nothing to lose. This is our time to do what we want, when we want, and not take any sh*t from anyone. If we don’t like our jobs, we can quit and find a new one. It is only ourselves that restrict us from finding happiness. If we don’t like where we are living, we can move. We can finally believe in ourselves, and once we do, we will have the confidence to continue our journey in search for what we are supposed to do. Don’t be that old person who regrets not chasing their dreams. Don’t settle for what’s easy and what comes to you. Time goes by too quickly to not do what we love. Use your twenties to go after it – whatever it is: chase it, reach it. No matter what, despite any doubts, go get it, because there is no better time to do just that than our twenties.
