With $300 and a backpack full of clothes and dreams, my friends and I made the 20-hour drive to Las Vegas, Nev. We didn’t know if we would have enough money, but we made it work. We didn’t go for the “Vegas” experience; we went for the “Nevada” experience. We hiked, we walked, we climbed, we antiqued, we jumped off of cliffs. Here are the seven things that I have learned that we all must do and consider during our 21st trip around the sun.
- There is more to your country, let alone the world. You need to leave your state. Pick up a couple of extra shifts and get in your car and drive. Just a few short hours can get you someplace you have never been.
- You need to keep your mind open. People may be less kind or more judgmental depending on where you go. People will also be genuine; there are genuine people everywhere you go. Do not jump to the conclusion that there is nothing beyond your own backyard.
- You need to get over yourself. It doesn’t matter how you did or didn’t grow up. It doesn’t matter how much money is in your trust fund. You are human just like everyone else; you are no better and no worse than the person standing next to you.
- You must learn to stay humble. Don’t gloat to your friends and family because you were fortunate enough to see something that they haven’t. Bring back lessons that you have learned. Show them pictures of where you may have left your heart.
- You need to be reminded of what you are working so hard for. When you’re 21, you’re more than likely chugging along through the final leg of your college career. If you’ve been in the same town that whole time, you can easily forget what it is you are working for and what it is you plan on doing upon graduation.
- You need to learn to be comfortable in your own skin. Save an hour a day by skipping your full face of makeup. If you meet the love of your life, you’re going to want them to know what you really look like; otherwise you will have to keep up the charade of concealer and blush. Wake up in the morning, splash some water on your face, and go forth into the great unknown.
- You need to figure out where home is. It is perfectly OK to feel at home somewhere new. Especially for those of us who are third-culture kids. Remember that home is where the heart is, even if it's someplace the heart has only been once. When you find home, you will know.
Happy 21st year; take advantage of it.
