The night I turned thirteen, I cried because I didn't want to become a teenager and didn't want to grow up. My twentieth birthday is tomorrow, and in anticipation of officially leaving my teenage years behind, I googled "things to do you before you turn 20" and read an excessive amount of lists to see how many cliché teenage experiences I've actually had. I was surprised to find I've done the majority of the things on them: gone to a foreign country by myself, had a job, danced in the rain, thrown a surprise party, voted, pulled an all-nighter, slept under the stars, been in a flash mob, etc. I've checked them all off, and I'm glad. Most were excellent experiences. However, there are still a few list items left over.

Here's a list of 20 things I still haven't done, compiled from lists of things one should do before turning 20:

1. Thrown an awesome house party that will most likely leave the place in ruins.

2. Had a summer fling.

3. Had a one night stand with a stranger.

4. Kissed someone at midnight on New Years Eve.

5. Taken a road trip to an unknown destination.

6. Gone streaking.

7. Fallen in love and gotten my heart broken.

8. Gotten inconceivably drunk/be so hungover than you don't believe you're a real person anymore.

9. Been at your peak hotness level.

10. Gotten turned away from a nightclub.

11. Cried on public transportation.

12. Attended prom.

13. Ran a half marathon.

14. Became confidently conversational in ASL.

15. Gone to Disneyland/Disney World.

16. Attended a Toga Party.

17. Gone snorkeling.

18. Read the dictionary front to back.

19. Memorized Canada's provinces and capitals.

20. Met my favorite celebrity.

When I first read the lists I pulled these items from, I was a little upset that I couldn't check off absolutely all of the numbered items on each. I had this irrational sense of failure; I hadn't lived my life to the fullest, I was stunted, I had missed out on important experiences. As the saying goes, you're only young once. Or #YOLO. Whatever.

But then I asked myself why, and suddenly all of the answers made total sense. I haven't gone snorkeling or been to Disney World because that was never a priority for my family or myself when planning vacations. I didn't have time for a fling during any summer, and my energy was focused elsewhere; I never pursued anything. I never wanted to have a one night stand or get into a nightclub. I don't even have a favorite celebrity. And that's okay! Nobody has experienced everything, and I don't have to feel bad about the choices I've made. Because just about all of these things are choices.

So now here's how I feel about not having done anything on this list: freaking great. Maybe there were aspects of teenhood I missed out on, but I did a lot of cool stuff. And you know what? Most of the things on this list can easily be done at any age. In fact, they all fall into the category of either things I never want to do or things I look forward to doing one day. I have so much life ahead of me (knock on wood). Instead of looking back on the technically 21 years I've been alive, I'm going to look forward to the next couple of decades. Instead of reading other lists of what I should have already done, I'm going to make my own list of things I want to do. And, you know, go out and do them. I'm way too young to worry about wasting my youth.

All in all, I think my almost-thirteen-year-old self would be happy with the way I spent my teenage years. The main item I really want to check off on a list of clichés is "be true to yourself."