As a young woman in her mid-20s, I can honestly say that there are a lot of things that I want to try at least once during this decade. I do think that I have done a lot, and that I am mature for my age, but I don’t want the feeling of regret to take over my life later on. There are many things to do before you hit your 30s!
Sometimes I take life too seriously, and I want to let loose as well. I don’t want to look back several years from now and wonder why I was so “serious” when I was younger. These years are supposed to be the time of our lives, right?
1. Travel alone.
Traveling alone can teach one a lot about themselves. You can also do what you want, when you want to. You can visit new places on your own time frame as well.
2. Travel the world.
Take at least one long-term trip. You can backpack across Europe, visit all of the Wonders of the World, and so on.
3. Connect with your family.
I’m going to guess that you might not have had the most perfect relationship with your family when you were a teenager. This is something that happens to many people, but as an adult, you should be trying to reconnect and re-establish relationships with family members.
4. Determine your passion.
When you first find that “real” job, you may be swept away by the money aspect, but what is it that you want to do?
5. Determine your life goals.
What are your life goals? Do you want to have a family? A dream home? Travel the world? Retire at a young age? This is definitely a big thing to do in your 20s.
6. Get rid of that debt.
You might think that everyone has debt, but you don’t have to. I don’t care what the statistics are and I don’t care if everyone else has debt. Get rid of it!
7. Learn a new language.
Learning a new language can be hard, but it is well worth it.
8. Join a team.
There are plenty of adult sports teams that you can join. Local bars sometimes have volleyball teams or hockey teams, and you might even be able to find a fun dodge ball or kickball team in the summertime.
9. Spend time with friends.
You may notice that life is speeding past you. As a person in your 20s, things are probably changing drastically. You may have recently started your first job, you may be starting your own family, you may be moving to a brand new place. Spending time with friends whom you care about is very important.
10. Find your own home.
Sometimes finances get in the way of this one, but if you can, definitely try to find our own home. You can learn a lot about yourself this way, and it is a great step towards independence.
11. Visit the Grand Canyon.
There are so many things to do when visiting the Grand Canyon. You will be surprised!
12. Go on a road trip.
Gather some of your friends and go on a spontaneous road trip: I guarantee that you will have fun.
13. Do something crazy.
Have you ever thought about jumping out of a plane? I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of your friends or acquaintances doing this and have wondered or dreamed about doing the same. Well, what’s stopping you?
14. Train for a marathon.
Have you ever done a marathon? Try one now!
15. Take a cooking class.
Have you ever really learned how to cook?
16. Volunteer.
There are so many great organizations out there that could use your help—go find one.
17. Dedicate one full day to doing nice things for strangers.
This can be a lot of fun: You can carry out groceries for someone at the store, buy coffee for the person behind you in line, or maybe help a stranger with a random task. The list is endless and it will restore faith in humanity for these strangers.
18. Go offline for one week.
Leave your cell phone at home and your laptop closed.
19. Go camping.
I’ve never been camping, and I’m sure there are others out there like myself who have always wanted to as well.
20. Attend an awesome event.
Have you ever wanted to go to Oktoberfest in Germany? What about Coachella?
21. Go to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is a lot of fun, and well worth the experience.
22. Learn how to play golf.
It can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great networking skill.
23. Point your finger at a map and go there.
Hopefully you don’t pick a place that’s super boring, but even if you do, just go anyway.
24. Cook something new every single day for 30 days.
This is a lot harder than it sounds, but it can be a lot of fun, and will improve your culinary skills.
25. Say “Yes” to everything for a certain length of time.
You would be surprised at how you feel after this.
26. Scuba dive.
If you are like me, then you might be afraid of what lingers in the water. Forget your fears and just do it.
27. Win an award.
Doesn’t matter what the award is. Strive for something and obtain it.
28. Make friends with your neighbors.
Do you know who your neighbors are? What about the person living 3 doors down? Most don’t—change that.
29. Learn a new dance.
Do you know how to waltz or tango? Learning these dances can be a lot of fun, and you’d have an interesting skill to tell someone about.
30. Write a letter to yourself.
Write a letter and read it several years from now. It’ll be a nice memoir, and you may be surprised at what your younger self had to say.
