How many times have you heard “your twenties are you selfish years,” and, after you heard it, how many times did you actually act on it? We spend so much of our time surrounding ourselves with the misconception that we need to be claimed by someone and then wrap our goals and schedules around them as if we live a meaningless life otherwise. Then, we think living selfishly and doing things for ourselves is wrong. But believe me when I say you are doing everyone including yourself a huge favor if you live selfishly right now and just follow your own map.

Book that flight, take that adventure. Why spend so much of your energy and your precious time worrying if they’re going text you back, or worrying how things are going to work between the two of you because, god forbid you are separated for more than 24 hours. Go actually see something other than a Netflix screen, please. Experience culture, experience a conversation on a subway with a stranger, get lost but find something about yourself you never saw before.

Too often, we get caught up in the relationship game, and love, true powerful fire setting love is great, but that isn’t going to come until you learn and explore yourself anyways. Go and catch a flight, don’t concern yourself with catching feelings, you owe it to yourself to find all the millions of other magical things in this world than to sit and analyze what about you they may like. Plus, it’s more exciting to go running after terminals than to run after the ones that “got away.” We set so many expectations with all these ‘relationship goals’ that we forget we should chase our own goals, there is nothing more fulfilling than being your own, whole person and living life to its fullest, enjoying your own company.

Catch flights, not feelings right now because standing on your own and growing will make you somebody that has more than enough to offer rather than someone who needs another to feel like they’re someone special. Go see things you can’t see beyond a club every Saturday night, stop limiting yourself and making other priorities when you have the whole world at your fingertips.

Right now, you don’t owe anyone anything, whether you are single or with someone the only person truly living your life is you so why put restrictions on your freedom? Fill the passport pages, fill your memories, fill yourself up with experiences. You’ll have less baggage (pun intended) if you use the opportunities you have right now anyways, so do yourself the favor and travel until you don’t need the map anymore.

Let’s stop concerning ourselves with “being single” and stop limiting ourselves because “I have a boyfriend/girlfriend so I just don’t have the time.” You’re young with plenty of time to meet someone that will set your soul on fire, but you should really invest in a ticket to somewhere right now and at least light your own spark.