turn 21 on the twenty-eighth of May this year, and I compiled this list to make sure I have an amazing week. Some of these things I’ve already done, but there are some I haven’t yet! I feel like 21 is a good age to sit down and really think about the past and the future. What have you done that you’re proud of? What have you done that you’re not so proud of? What will you do?
If that’s too much for you, don’t worry. Here’s 21 things you should do before you turn 21, and along the way you’ll figure out the rest!
1. Have a huge movie marathon.
I’m talking all the Harry Potter movies, the Lord of the Rings trilogy plus The Hobbit. All day, in your pajamas, tons of movies.
2. Thank your parents/guardians/anyone in your life who has helped you
Make sure they know that you are grateful to have them in your life. They’ll appreciate the recognition!
3. Learn to change a tire
I can’t stress this enough. You do not want to be away from home and get a flat tire. But more importantly than that, you do not want to be stranded for hours, waiting for a mechanic or a tow truck. Learn to change a tire. You can find videos on YouTube, or you can ask someone in your life to teach you!
4. Ask someone out
Break out of your comfort zone. They might say yes, they might say no, either way it will make the next time a little easier.
5. Eat something new
Go to a new restaurant and try something you’ve never heard of. If you visit a new country, try a foreign food that everyone there is raving about. Try new foods! You never know what you’ll find.
6. Open a savings account
This one’s boring, I’m so sorry. Open a savings account and actually use it. Save up for something you really want… maybe an Instax Mini 8 to document your senior year of college?
7. Go to a concert
It doesn’t matter who you see, but go! It’s such a great experience. My first concert was The Cheetah Girls Live, and my first concert on my own was Nick Jonas and the Administration. Since then, I’ve gone to many music festivals and small concerts-- and every single one was amazing!
8. Drastically change your hairstyle
This has to be my favorite thing on this list. A haircut can make you feel like a completely different person. If you're nervous about cutting your hair, donate it! That made my decision a lot easier. I pictured a little girl with a full wig and once I got that image in my head, I couldn't get it out. In March I decided to change my hair, and I did. Here’s a before and after. The after is a couple months after dying, which is why my roots are coming in. This is also after a little bit of fading, it used to be more blue.
And the best part? It will grow back!!!
9. Skip school/class with friends
One of the best memories from my freshman year of college is when a few friends and I skipped our class and went to the mall instead. It was a small group of about six of us, and we went to the container store then to the mall. I can't even remember all of the small details, but it was so much fun!
10. Volunteer
Volunteering will give you that warm and fuzzy feeling in your stomach. It will make you feel so good. Giving to others is an amazing way to use a day. I volunteer on campus all the time, and I encourage you to join a community-service club or stop by the nearest homeless shelter to help out!
11. Visit a foreign country
Don't stay cooped up in America forever-- visit another country, see how they live their lives. I went to London, England and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had!
12. Conquer one of your fears
Even if it's something as small as fearing spiders or dogs-- conquer it. Don't traumatize yourself, make slow and gradual changes to conquer your fear. You'll feel so great when you can finally confront your fear! I'm terrified of heights, so when I went to London there was a big issue: the flight. Luckily, I had a friend sitting next to me so I was able to talk to her and pretend like I wasn't thousands of miles above water, but it was still extremely difficult. I loved getting back to land, but the flight home wasn't as bad as the flight there!
13. Try going vegetarian/vegan
I recently went vegetarian for 30 days. It was quite the experience. I love meat too much to stay a vegetarian, but it really taught me a lot more about myself than I thought it would!
14. Accomplish a "big goal"
By "big goal" I mean huge. My biggest goal that I have accomplished so far was passing my MTEL (Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure), and before that it was graduating high school. My next big goal is to get accepted into grad programs, and hopefully attend one!
15. Start a journal/diary
I love being able to look back in my journal and see what I've written in the past. The people I spent time with, the things I did... everything. It's really nice to look back and relive a piece of my life.
16. Binge watch an entire show on Netflix
Sometimes, this isn't just in one sitting. I binged Grey's Anatomy, which is not an easy show to binge. I finished in just under three months (at that time, season 10 was live). That is probably my biggest accomplishment thus far in my life.
17. Make a list of your dreams
Write it down. Don't type it, write it down and hang it up on your wall in your room. Right next to your pillow. Every single morning look at it and remind yourself of your dreams.
18. And make a list of what you're grateful for
Again, write it down. Don't type it, write it down and hang it up right next to the list of your dreams. Remind yourself every day that you are where you are because of your hard work and the hard work of those around you. Make sure you thank those people for being so amazing!
19. Go on a Spring Break trip
There are so many possibilities here! You can double dip! You can go to a foreign country, you can volunteer, you can volunteer in a foreign country where you eat some new food and change your hair. There's so much that can happen! It's really a lot of fun.
20. Do something nice for someone... without telling them
You'll feel amazing. If you get the right reaction from the person, you'll feel great for days. It gets even better if you know the person really well and you don't tell them, cause they'll be trying to figure out who did it. It's really fun.
21. Treat Yo' Self!
Go all Parks and Rec and Treat Yo' Self! You deserve it! Have a spa day! Go shopping! Read a new book! Do whatever you want!
