Your 20s Should Be More Than A 'Party Stage' | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post

Your 20s Should Be More Than A 'Party Stage'

I am not going to waste my time on nights I won't be able to remember the next day.

543
Your 20s Should Be More Than A 'Party Stage'
Courtney French

Have you ever felt stuck? So stuck in place that no matter what you do, all your efforts cannot help change your great amount of stuck-ness? I am stuck – stuck on a path that hopefully leads to somewhere that is less sticky. If you've ever been in a party house during daylight hours, you know that I mean. My life is both physically and metaphorically sticky.

One of the most popular questions people in their late teens and early adulthood hear the most is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We know what you all want to hear: "I'm going to school for _____, so obviously I'm going to do that."

False.

We don't want to do that. If anyone could choose anything, we'd most likely choose something else.

I want to do yoga on a beach every morning, adopt 12 dogs, eat only from farmers markets and somehow still manage to travel the world.

However, when I answer that famous question, I always reply with, "Wherever the wind takes me." This is mostly for insurance purposes, as younger me answered with ludicrous ideals such as a dentist or US President. Not that those aren't something to strive for, they just aren't for me. Just like I know my parents won't appreciate that I aspire to be a homeless, dog-hoarding beach bum. I have real aspirations. One current goal is getting a full night's rest and still managing to wake up on time. That goal has been hopelessly unattainable in previous years, but I am working on it.

So here is where I am stuck. I am in college surrounded by wonderful people with amazing goals and abilities, future leaders of our world and loving parents to next generations. I meet amazing people every day, and they all get caught up in the same routine. Study hard, play harder. Now, it is no surprise that the US is one of the binge-drinking capitals of the world; we have no traditions like small glasses of wine with food to enhance the experience of the meal. We have a culture of partying and throwing up.

The US is not the only country that glorifies alcohol consumption, though: Hostels and tourist towns all over the world propagate drinking as a way to entice travelers and erase the language or social barriers among guests. Since one of my main goals of not being stuck is to travel, I do not plan to spend a vast majority of it drinking and dancing the night away – I can do that at home with people who will keep me safe, and take proper care of me.

So, I am still stuck on a path of higher education and trying to find that gust of wind to take me away and set me down somewhere I can be happy and useful. I am not going to waste my time on nights I won't be able to remember the next day. In order to be carried away on the wind, I need to have great wings, wings made of talents and skills you can't get from any ordinary college degree. I will have strong wings made up of even stronger memories and experiences. No matter how stuck on chasing that big dream you may be, you are never too stuck to work on the little things in life. Chase a small dream, become a certified yoga instructor, find a job that allows you to learn a new skill, spend a day with your friends attending a workshop or seminar.

There is so much in life we have yet to experience, and why not try to get that full nights rest instead of going out for the night? Wake up early and show the world its stickiness is only temporary.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

565095
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

451835
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments