Everyone says (or at least my parents do) that once you graduate, the smartest thing to do is to get a job and then save up your money to start paying off your student loans. I can hear my dad even now saying “Save your money! Wait until you’re financially stable to do the things you want to do. Don’t spend money on things you can’t afford!”
This seems like a very reasonable thing to do, right? Maybe it is, or maybe, for you, it isn’t.
Some people may not call me the most realistic person ever, but in my opinion, post-graduation is the epitome of perfect times to go out and see the world, for a number of different reasons.
This is the only time in your life when you aren’t tied down by a career or school.
This might just be the only time you will EVER have when you don’t have to go to classes or go to your full-time job (because, of course, you haven’t acquired one yet). You may not have the freedom to spend as much money you want, but you do have the freedom of time. No one is counting on you to be somewhere. Why not take advantage of that?
You are YOUNG!
I know this isn’t something I need to tell you, but you are the youngest you will ever be right now. You’re only getting older! As much as people say they want to wait to travel or want to wait to move to a different state/country, how many of them actually do it later in life? The older you get, the more things that will get in the way. Right now is the time to do things you’ve always wanted to do. Remember, taking risks and doing things on your own is an important part of life!
You don’t have to worry about anyone relying on you.
These are the last couple of years of your life that you only have yourself to worry about. In a couple of years, most of you will be married, or even have kids, and they will count on you for literally everything. You won’t have time then to think about doing anything for yourself because you’re constantly worrying about doing things for other people. And like I said before, when all of your kids finally leave the house, and they don’t depend on you anymore, you most likely won’t be up for doing the things you used to always want to do.
Why not?
The main reason people choose not to go out and do the things they want to do is because they don’t think they don’t want to spend more money. My answer to this is simple, and I refer back to it time and time again. Would you rather get to the end of your life with a lot of money, but never having ever really lived? Or get to the end knowing you did all you could do to make it the best life ever, with memories and stories to tell your children?
So go to the festival this summer, travel to the other side of the world, go sky diving, climb a mountain, move to New York or California. Do everything (or at least some of the things) you’ve had on your bucket list since you were a little kid. Because this is the absolute best time to do it.
I know my choice is simple.