Every decade of your life is a little different. So far, your 20s has been about adulting and dealing with the real world. You may have learned the ins and out of getting your first apartment. You've answered questions like, "What do you want to do for your career," and "Why aren't you friends with them anymore?" Ugh! It seems like everything was so much easier when you were a teen, huh? Well, parts of being a teen were, and that's why I think there are some things you did with your friends in high school that deserve a repeat in your 20s. (Leave those matching outfits behind, though, please!)
Looking back, you honestly can't believe that high school was that long ago. For me, it's been nearly seven years since I played field hockey, took advanced placement art classes, and graduated with my best friends. Where did all the time go? Well, I guess some went to college and making new memories. A few months went to studying abroad, and others went to moving back to my hometown and working a retail job. There have been a lot of highs and a lot of lows. But, I wouldn't change any of them for the world.
Truth is, those years made me appreciate high school and everything I've done. They've made me want to repeat my favorite memories — these five things that I did with my friends back then — but now. You, too?
Playing hooky was something that everybody had to do growing up. (At least, that's what it seemed like. You didn't technically have to do anything.) It seemed like a rite of passage in high school — a sign that you could be a little rebellious and go to the beach instead of class one day with your best friends. It's about time you recreate those moments in the "real world."
In your 20s, choose to take a spontaneous day off of work or school, and do something fun. Go to your favorite coffee shop or have a day in the city before grabbing some popcorn at a baseball game. Life is too short to not make the most of every moment, and adults can play hooky, too.
One of my favorite things in high school was to drive around my hometown with my best friends and listen to music. Typically, we'd pile into someone's car and put on Taylor Swift's older albums. Then, we'd always end up having the sweetest heart-to-hearts about life, relationships, and the unnecessary drama going on in our lives.
Even though everyone lived their own unique life back then, most of us likely had a similar experience in some way, shape, or form. Maybe you ended up drinking milkshakes at your local diner at midnight, and blasted bands like All Time Low and Blink182 on your radio, too.
So, that's why you need to make it a point to hit the road again. Bond over adulting and navigating the "real world," and put on those same tunes over and over again. It would probably be so comforting, because let's be honest: You remember all the lyrics.
Nowadays, if you stay up until midnight, it's a personal victory. Most nights, you're in bed well before then, snuggled up with your blankets and watching re-runs of your favorite sitcoms and other television shows. After all, you have work in the morning!
Repeating those sleepovers back in the day when you'd stay up all hours would be seriously tough now. But why not give it a shot? Have a reunion and stay up with your best friends. Flip through your old yearbooks and eat the snacks from your high school days. You can book it at a hotel someplace fun, convenient for everyone. Then, pass the Oreos, please!
When you were in high school, taking videos was pretty popular. Your favorite influencers and friends created channels on YouTube, and you'd watch their new episodes at your lunch table at school. On the weekend, you may have pretended that you had your own, and mimicked the mannerisms and jokes you heard a few days before.
Now, you might be all over social media, still capturing your favorite moments of life for your friends and followers, or maybe you've given up the long nights of editing cheesy music videos and bloopers. Bring back those traditions that you love and hit record one more time in your 20s, OK? You never know what amazing new memories you might get on film.
Last but not least, spending an entire day at the mall deserves a repeat in your 20s. You could pick up some new cozy, oversized sweaters or go thrift shopping, and reminisce about the days you got dropped off there by someone's mom. Let's imagine what that was like, shall we?
You remember back in the days of high school, you spent hours in your favorite stores with your best friends. You may have tried on everything on the rack, and came home with a few items in your bag, after having a fashion show in the dressing rooms.
Time has passed since then, but you're willing to relive your favorite moments in this new decade of your life. Ready, set, rewind, and repeat!
