Last Friday, I turned twenty years old.
That is the strangest sentence I’ve ever typed.
In the days leading up to my birthday, I felt I like I was have an almost-quarter life crisis. What have I done? I have never won the National Spelling Bee, I haven’t starred on a hit Disney Channel show, and I haven’t even seen The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I know. I’m sorry).
Though I wasn’t a child prodigy or even a teen one, I have done and learned a lot.
Here are twenty things I’ve learned in my twenty year life time:
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It’s better if you do something earlier than later.
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It’s better to known up to being late than make a dumb excuse.
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Unsweetened, black iced teas will help power your day when sleep isn’t enough.
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Watching a movie can cure any bad feeling.
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Major in something that will make you happy instead of making your family happy.
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Sometimes, being your own quirky self is better than being like everyone else.
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You will never be as cool as Mick Jagger, but you sure can dress as cool as him.
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Being by yourself sometimes is better than being surrounded by people.
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Nap often.
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You’re going to fail and you will get better.
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Cape Cod has the best warm lobster rolls.
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Go to that weeknight concert (unless you have an exam or work the next day).
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Care about people as much as you would care for yourself.
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Having a venting session once in awhile is the best kind of detox.
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Drink as much water as you can.
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Make great things.
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Each day, find something that will make you laugh.
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Know when to be serious and know when to be goofy.
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Know when it’s time to leave and go somewhere else.
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You are your own person. You have your own life. Stop trying to compete with the people around you.
Obviously, being twenty years old, I haven’t cracked the surface. I still have a lot to learn. So for now, instead of focusing on the things I didn’t do, I’m going to focus on the things I’m going to do…like figuring out when I’m going to go back to Naco Taco for their plantains and tostones.
“If I turn twenty, that means I can have twenty tacos…right??”
