We've all heard it: "Your twenties are the BEST time of your LIFE!" I know I have, too. But what defines your twenties as the best time of your entire life? What line is drawn in the sand that declares "this is when the magic happens!"
I would like to say that I am ready for my twenties, but I know I'm not. I've already had such a change from turning 16, to 18, and my life has seemed pretty great so far. What if I look back in my twenties and say, "being a teenager SUCKED!" even though right now, it doesn't seem like it?
What if life is just a series of decades that are better or worse than before? Why is there some sort of competition between age brackets to declare "We're better than you, 40's! Love, the 50's."
If so, I would want every year of my life to be just as good as the year before. I don't want to look back and think, "my 20's kicked my 30's BUTT!" even though it may be difficult when children begin to scream at breakfast and my car goes flat on the way to soccer practice. (Even though I hope that I am not responsible or cool enough for kids until at least, like, 50.)
With that being said, here's 20 things I want to do in my twenties to set the standard for a (hopefully) awesome adulthood *shiver*:
1. I want to see the world.
...and not go to somewhere marked by tourist signs in English. I want to legitimately step on ground that has not been stepped on in decades. I want to see the world and let the world see me, and hopefully not get food poisoning along the way. Speaking of food...
2. I want to try new food.
...Because eventually, I know that pizza and chicken nuggets won't cut it. I want to go to brunch and actually like the avocado that allegedly pairs well with eggs, but right now I want to just gag at the thought.
3. I want to listen more and talk less.
...I can't wait to be surrounded in conversation that doesn't require an answer to every question, instead letting a question linger in the air for further reflection.
4. I want to freakin' own a dog.
...My parents don't allow me to have a pet because I'm not responsible. GUESS WHAT, MOM. I'm TWENTY(ish) AND WILL BUY A PUG. And I will curl up next to my new pal and actually teach it things because pugs are brilliant.
5. I want to own real clothes.
...And not slivers of cheap fabric from Forever 21 that are so neon that it makes me look tan. If I'm going to be an adult, I'm going to need 100% cotton.
6. I want to learn.
...Because being a teenager was full of tough, tough life lessons that taught me how to "person". It's time I learned more about myself, and what I like or don't like. I want to learn about the world and how I fit into it.
7. I want to own real home decor.
...Because sorority paddles are great, and canvases are pretty, but my home will be a sanctuary and a reflection of myself. It's time to make it look like a pretty good me.
8. I want to pick up a new skill.
...School has prepared me for a career, and equipped me with plenty of knowledge on how to be great at it. However, a college education can't tell you what to do on a lazy Sunday when the house is quiet. I want to learn what I can fill that time with.
9. I want to meet new friends.
...Because college is full of promise when it comes to the friend department, but then those friends move away. I want to meet and keep lifelong friends, so that we can giggle together about our twenties in our eighties.
10. I want to be more athletic.
...And not the weightlifting, paleo type. I mean wholeheartedly athletic and fit, and I want to be able to look in the mirror and think that I look healthy.
11. I want to fend for myself.
...Because the world is full of bad things and worse people than college, and you can't always depend on a band of girlfriends to come to your rescue.
12. I want to learn how to change a tire.
...Along the road of bad things, I should probably need to deal with the not-so-bad-but-still-annoying things. I apparently missed the bus with this one.
13. I want to do what I love.
...Which must be the most "That's so Twenties" answer, ever. But I want to do what I love as my job and do it somewhat well.
14. I want to go home.
...And often. At what point post-college graduation do kids stop going home to mom? I hope I get to walk in my parents' house until I have kids to walk in with me, and then some.
15. I want to fall in love and keep it that way.
...Because I already think I am now. But the deep, mutual understanding of people that can't live without each other. Some Nicholas Sparks romance, please. Twenties, I hope you are taking note here.
16. I want to be comfortable with myself.
...I once heard the term, "You better like yourself, because at the end of the day, yourself is all you've got!" That stuck with me. I want to be able to sit in silence with myself and be content. 19-year-old me is just a little too high maintenance at the moment.
17. I want to love Jesus more.
...And realize that He loves me so much more than I ever could love another thing.
18. I want to fix things in the world.
...And not be part of the problem, but the solution in the grand scheme of our tragically messed up planet.
19. I want to love well and be loved well.
...By everyone. I want to be able to say at the end of each day that I feel loved. And if not by close friends, than at least by my dog. (See #4)
20. I want to be able to look back when I'm thirty with laugh lines and crows feet and say, "Damn. What could get better?"
