As my teenage years are coming to a close, I got a sudden shock to my system. Thoughts raced through my head of my incoming twenties, the pressures of my future career, my education, and…taxes. The dreaded ‘terrible twenties’ is a time in one’s life where they are entering adulthood and are expected to be independent as the safety net of parents and school slowly starts to disintegrate. We enter an age where we are forced to grow up although we are still so young and full of life. It honestly feels unreal to even see myself as no longer a teenager because of my 7th grade boy humor and lack of real life experiences.
As my birthday is a short month away and me being older for my grade, (I’m a twin and my brother needed to be held back in Kindergarten for being “immature” so I was dragged along with him) all my friends keep on reminding me how soon I’ll be old and how crazy it is. They suggested that I make a teen bucket list to complete before I hit the big 20 and I immediately loved the idea. Why not do some childish, coming of age type things before I feel the constant pressure from society to act a certain way. I hope that all my fellow teens that are slowly approaching their ‘terrible twenties’ can take inspiration from this and embrace the time that we have to be young, dumb, and free.
- Pull an all-nighter
Although it seems that most nights feel like all-nighters staying up and studying for upcoming exams, this type of all-nighter would involve face masks, movie marathons, greasy snacks, and prank calls.
- Randonaut at 3am
Randonautica is an app that quantumly generates a location. One can set their intention on what they want to see, experience, discover, and get a random location with directions.
- Skinny Dip (of course legally)
Going to a friends pool or a nude beach at night where one can legally be naked is probably the best idea. Take some friends with you and have the adrenaline rush of feeling exposed ;)
- Go to a Karaoke Bar
Karaoke is always a fun time and is a judge free zone to sing your heart out to your guilty pleasure song! Also extra points if you get a standing ovation.
- Go on a Roadtrip with Friends
Choose either a random place or your staple trip destination, take a group of friends, and hop in a car. Get out at cool locations and go sight seeing! Make a road-trip playlist or share playlists and guess which song is from who.
- Go to an Outdoor Concert
Look for local bands or major artists and go crazy! Sing the songs out loud and dance around!
- Ride with all the windows down at sunset with your favorite songs on blast
It almost feels therapeutic to feel the wind against your skin as you truly feel the music. Play some coming of age songs or nostalgic songs and feel the meaning of every lyric.
- Kiss a Stranger
Whether at a party or out in public, look for a cutie and give them a big smooch. Kudos if you get their number.
- Say ‘yes’ to something that’s out of your comfort zone.
Sometimes, you got to live a little and explore things that can make you feel uncomfortable. Seeking discomfort is the only way to truly grow.
- Write a letter to your future self
Ask yourself questions about you. What are you doing in the future? What have you achieved? Are you happy? Are you in love? Are you proud of yourself? Talk about your current self and go into detail!
- Have a Fashion Show with Friends
Gather your friends and raid each others closets for the most stylish clothes. Style each other and go for crazy, creative looks! Then, walk down a runway (a living room, driveway, whatever you can find) and take flash photography of each other.
- Make a Scrap Book/Photo Album
Make a scrap book and fill it with your favorite memories and photos of iconic moments! Add quirky stickers and things that remind you of those fond times.
- Make a Music Video
Choose a song and start recording! Go to different locations, have wardrobe changes, use cool props, and make funny edits. Use an old camera to make it look more indie :)
Although I will soon be a fresh twenty year old, I can still do these things at any age. I believe it’s not how old you are, but how you act and how you carry yourself. I want to preserve my free spirit and do fun things, and being care-free is how to keep your youthfulness flourishing. I still have so much life to live and things to see but doing these fun things before my birthday is a way for me to appreciate the life I’ve got to live so far and to say thanks to the last 7 years of my teen self. I hope everyone can see the beauty of aging and gain insight on how to start living for you and you only!