My 20th birthday is coming up this week and I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I think it's easy to forget all that we've accomplished in the length of a year, but it seemed like a good time to just reflect on my 19th year. Here are 19 things that I never thought would happen.
1. Explore Istanbul, Turkey
Over spring break, as a part of Arcadia University's First Year "Preview" program, I boarded a plane with 26 of my classmates and flew to Turkey. In fact, my entire experience deserves an article of its own.
2. Watch "Dragon Ball Z"
(And somehow enjoy it, actually...) Essentially, my boyfriend is a huge fan of the show and I had long resisted watching it. Well, I finally gave in and admit that it actually has its own eclectic charm. (Sometimes it just takes them seven episodes before the plot really thickens.)
3. Get treated for kidney stones
Again, this whole experience could be written about in an article of its own, but it deserves a space on this list simply because of how bizarre the whole ordeal was. In summary: they HURT. Would not recommend. 0/10. Drink lots of water kids, your kidneys are important.
4. (related) Watch a video on kidney stone removal
I have a severe phobia of hospitals and anything having to do with looking inside the human body. Somehow, I stumbled across a video of a surgeon removing egg-sized stones from someone's kidney. I'm not sure how I sat through it, but by the end, I was grateful that mine had only been about the size of a grain of sand.
5. Return to Pointe
Ever since I had to hang up my pointe shoes due to shin splints in middle school, I thought my days dancing on the tips of my toes were over. But then an opportunity arose for me to give it one more try last spring and so far (minus a few blisters) it's been going pretty well.
6. Get a tattoo
I briefly talked about this in my "9 Lessons I Learned from The Beatles" article, but in January I got the words "Let it be" inked onto the back of my neck. It's a part of me and a sort of hidden message that I'll always know about even if I'll never be able to directly see it. (And nope, still don't regret it!)
7. Publish an article about my experience at the gynecologist's
You can relive all of my vaginal adventures here!
8. Become a "Star Wars" fan
After 9-year- old me was traumatized after watching "Revenge of the Sith", I boycotted the franchise for 10 years. Flash forward to 19-year-old me watching "The Force Awakens" and absolutely loving every minute of it, and even enjoy the original trilogy and some of the newer trilogy now (except for that Episode III, because Sith Lords are, and always will be, terrifying.)
9. See Adele in concert
I cried. A lot. Read more about it in my previous article here.
10. Openly speak out about social justice issues
Social media is always a dangerous place to express your opinions, but so far I've spoken out about feminism, supported those affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting, and have stood with the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
11. Write a blog in Spanish
It's still in the works for this semester, but you can read all about Arcadia University's Spanish Club in my bilingual blog. (Shoutout to my professor, Gabby, for constantly proofreading all of my work. Muchas gracias.)
12. Be elected to the board of a club that I love
"Knight Club" or Arcadia's dance club, is one of my favorite parts of school. I am so humbled that I get to work with such a hardworking and thoughtful group of people and I am absolutely blown away by the diverse talents of our club members.
13. See Paul McCartney in concert (again!)
Sir Paul is my favorite and he still kills it onstage at age 74. I had already seen him as a present for graduating high school, but this past summer I brought my boyfriend for his early birthday present.
14. Advocate for sexual education
I'm sure I'll write more about this in the future, but educating teenagers about sex doesn't have to be an "awkward" or "unnatural" conversation. Do your kids a favor and talk to them about how to be safe- simply tabooing the subject does not work.
15. Visit an elderly home
For one of my classes this semester, we make weekly visits to a local nursing home and sit with a partner. The prospect of this initially worried me, but I've come to look forward to sitting and talking with my partner, Esther every Tuesday.
16. Drink 3 glasses of wine in Italy
At a family dinner, I might add... Needless to say, it was an interesting night. (Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad.)
17. Combat Social Anxiety
It sounds a lot scarier than it is, but now that I know some of my limits in certain social situations, I am learning how to stay more relaxed and when it might be time for me to excuse myself for some quiet time.
18. Say, "I love you" to someone else
And know how it feels to really mean it.
19. Say, "I love you" to myself
Some days are harder than others, but I'm slowly learning how to accept myself as I am.
