“Your 20s are your selfish years. Old enough to make the right decision and young enough to make the wrong ones. Be selfish with your time—travel, explore, fall in and out of love, be ridiculous and silly, stupid and wild. Be 20-something.”

Turning 20 is exciting. It’s a whole new decade and chapter in our lives. Even though none of us act like it, we’re adults believe it or not. No more “teen” in our age. We're juniors in college and the real world is starting to become a constant thought on our minds (eww).

We feel pressured to really start figuring out what we want to do with our lives after college and finding the “perfect person and job” to have for the rest of our life. But honestly, that’s all bull. You’re in your early 20s—there is no need to settle down then. This is your time to go out and have fun. This is your time to travel and experience different cultures and people. This is your time to be a little reckless and break some rules, try not to get arrested though.

But here are a few things to remember in your early 20s…

Fall in and out of love.

Learn what heartbreak is and how to deal with it. Believe it or not, it’ll end up making you a stronger person in the end. Don’t have the mindset of “I need to find my husband right now." There is no need to rush and force that. Just have fun, take your time with meeting people and see who is good for you and who isn’t. There is no need to find that “perfect” guy this young.

Don’t settle.

Don’t settle on that guy, don’t settle on that lame job, don’t settle on that alright body (make it amazing)—long story short, just don’t settle. That won’t lead to a happy life at all.

Travel.

It's important to get to know different places and people, and try new experiences. It will teach you so much and really open your eyes to different things. Travel to the right place and it just may change your life, and who doesn’t love traveling?!

Get out of your comfort zone.

I know it’s easier said than done, but do it. It’ll make living so much more fun and you’ll be so much happier in the long run.

Cherish your friends.

Make sure you have a solid group of friends and never let them go. Aside from your family, these people will be your go-to’s in life. They’ll be there creating the best memories in the years ahead. They’ll be there through it all and will always have your back with everything you do.

Don’t be anyone besides you.

Don’t waste your time trying to be someone you’re not. That wont make you happy. Find what makes you happy, do what makes you happy, surround yourself with people that make you happy and you’ll live a pretty good life. Just be the best you there is and go from there.

But most of all...

Don’t forget to tell your parents you love them.

If it weren’t for your parents, you wouldn’t be where you are now. They taught you everything you know pretty much up until now and will continue that for the rest of your life probably. They made sure you went to school, they taught you life skills, they made sure to attend every sports game. They are your rocks and always will be.

You may not know this but them seeing you go into your 20s and grow up is pretty hard for them. You’re slowly leaving home and they want nothing more to hold on to you but they know they have to let you go and grow up. Just remember to always remind them how much you love them.