Wednesday, November 17, 2010

21 things to do before you're 21 as prompted by 17 magazine

(done)1. Take a road trip.Mapping the route, singing at the top of your lungs, and discovering new towns with friends is the ultimate bonding experience.

(Done)2. Learn to play a musical instrument.I can play only a few chords, but I love the expressive power of music — and the possibility that one day you can learn to create something beautiful through it.

(__)3. Go skinny-dipping!It's the most liberating thing ever. You have to let go of your insecurities when you take off your clothes. But you're hidden by the water — so it's like bending the rules. Who decided we have to wear clothes, anyway?

(_)4. Save $1,000.Just seeing that big number in your bank account is rewarding — knowing you did it alone.

(kind of did this one...they're gone so it's hard to talk to them)5. Know your grandparents.Ask them (or your parents) about their lives at your age. You might be shocked by how much insight they have — and the crazy things they did!

(_)6. Buy a lottery ticket.But just one. Everyone should take one million-to-one shot in their lives — it's fun to dream such a big and outrageous dream.

(Done)7. Win an award.It doesn't matter if it's a contest for role models or pie-eating — you can be the best at something. And there's no fulfillment quite like everyone else knowing it too.

(Done)8. Say "I love you."It takes courage to be vulnerable. But it's the only way to create the possibility that someone will love you back the way you deserve.

(_)9. Learn to drive a stick shift.You never know when you'll get into a situation where you may need to know how. Plus, in terms of gas, these cars are better on your wallet.

(Done)10. Milk a cow.I was terrified to do it, but conquering this small thing helped me do even bigger scary stuff.

(Done)11. Forgive someone.A girl wrote "b****" on my locker when I was 16, and it always ate away at me inside. But when I made amends with her, the bad feelings evaporated.

(i won't do this one because God is in control)12. Have your fortune told.Sure, it's kind of silly. But doing it is really a reminder that in the end, only you hold the power to chart your own destiny.

(_)13. Go to a drive-in.Seriously, the best place on earth! Where else can you watch a movie, get a great burger, talk and walk around with friends, and see the stars — all at the same time?

(Done)14. Do your own laundry.It's the first step on the long (but gratifying) road to independence.

(Done)15. Ride a horse.Okay, it might sound cheesy, but when you connect with this animal and the wind blows through your hair, it's the closest feeling to real freedom.

(ooh i gotta do this one!)16. Donate your formal dresses.You'll give someone the chance to be a princess for one night. (And, yes, it's okay to feel like one!)

(i've seen it in boston, but i want to be thrown about by it)17. See the ocean.I felt so small next to this huge, timeless thing — and it inspired me to make the most of my life.

(i've waitressed but not as an official job..i think that counts :P )18. Waitress at least once.Serving someone is humbling, plus it teaches you how to communicate and multitask — two skills you'll use forever.

(Done)19. See one thing that is "the world's largest."Even if it's just a frying pan — at least it can be your temporary claim to fame!

(i want to do this sooo bad!!)20. Leave the country.Going to England, I realized how narrow my world really was — and that travel was the best way I could expand it.

(it's easier to do this once you realize God made you :)21. Learn how to love your body.I'm just now starting to feel perfect as I am because I have knobby knees and moles — not in spite of them.

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