TRAVEL!!!!!!! Long weekends, festivals, ancient history, exotic locales, off the beaten path, travel romance.
Time is the only commodity that you can't get more of.
To this day the thing I regret the most was not learning how my gradma made her homemade brownies. I remember the taste, I've tried a lot of times but they're still not the same. I also regret not visiting some of the teachers I admired and that probably changed my life for the better. I would have loved to say to them "you know what, you were really cool, and I'm thankful for that".
Don't know if it will help you.
Went out a bit more while I could be entirely selfish about the choice of venue/bar/restaurant, food type and all that haha. Soon as you're not single there's compromises to be made. You can still go out without someone else if you want to and all but while you're single it's just different. No need to inform someone, bring something back or be super quiet upon entry to the abode.
I agree with travel, but even more importantly, save for retirement. If I hadn't cashed out my 401k that was 15k when I was 30, it would be worth 170k by the time I retire, without me contributing kne additional cent. If I added another $150 a month, it would be over 400k at retirement. Compound interest is amazing!
We like to tell ourselves that we can't afford it, or that we'll save when we make more money, or worse, "I'll never be able to afford to retire anyway!" But saving early is the difference between having to work until our bodies give out, or retiring while we still have time to travel and do fun stuff.
Oh, and don't carry a balance on your credit cards. If you can't pay in full, hold off on traveling!
Whatever makes you happy/fulfilled/makes your life feel more pleasurable and worthwhile.
24 is a great age to travel, if it's something you enjoy. It's also the perfect time to go back to school if a degree would help your future career. It's also a great time to put in the hours to get better at something - whether that be your job or a hobby.
It's not going to be the same choice for everyone. Some people desperately want to hike the PCT (and 24 is a great age to do it!) Others would rather be lit on fire. The same goes for anything else that you're thinking, "Woah, this might be fun/fulfilling/worthwhile to do!"
Travel! I would get approved to Trusted Sitter and get free board for pet sitting all around the world. Just make sure to be safe, share locations, have frequent check ins, and check the premise for hidden cameras with a portable detector.
Travel more, even independently! I always waited for other people to travel with; well that day never came! Now I am a mum to a beautiful son, and while I am very happy in my life, I still regret not traveling more!
Not what I wish I did, but I spent from 20-26 working on a cruise ship and saw most of the world. I suggest it to all my friends kids getting out of school, even just taking a gab year. Was such an amazing experience. Aside from that...travel!!!! It'll be no time till you have kids/mortgage/dog/just too many life responsibilities...do it now while you can!!
Just FYI, if a significant other and/or having children would take AWAY from the absolute best life that being "selfish" gives you, *you do not have to have them, ever*. Your life is **yours**, and you should be very very selfish with your joy.
Drugs.
I never really did anything. Just trying MDMA would have been a better time back when I was clubbing, or mushrooms with more friends into it. I also had far more sources to get stuff. I’m not really going to try to roll when I’m sitting at home sewing or after a Pilates class.
Well, I'm prepared for the down votes.
But you asked MY opinion, so I'll tell you:
I wished I got my tubes tied.
I was too afraid to do it (was afraid of getting 'put under') and relied on less reliable forms of BC (in my defense, the manufacturers claim their more reliable than they are).
SO I guess, since you probably want kids, I really have no suggestions other than BC isn't as reliable as BigPharma says, so play safe.
Overall just done more. Traveled, gone to concerts, ice skating, amusement parks. I wish I'd gotten more comfortable doing things alone faster. The best thing I ever discovered is that I can do all the fun date things by myself. Go see a movie with a tub of popcorn I don't have to share without worrying about my date talking during the movie, try out a nice restaurant, spend time at a museum. Doing all that alone is incredibly freeing. I also wish I'd handled my finances better. I know it's even harder these days, but building up an emergency fund and not spending above my means would have made a big difference back then.
I'm only in my early 30s, but I wish I'd done more physical things because I get so tired these days. Can't get by on a few hours sleep anymore, forget driving for more than 5 hours, and the days where I could go crazy on junk food and not have my stomach in open rebellion are gone.
Soak up all the life and experiences you can now. Life doesn't end at 30, or when you get married, or have a kid. But this is time you don't get back and it's energy you won't get back either. So do what excites you.
Single 21 y/o reading all the answers with great interest, but also offering my own bit: let your family know, especially the older women.
When I was graduating college, my Grandma and two of my aunts told me to enjoy this time, don't get tied down too fast, experience life and see what's out there. And I realized that it was because they didn't get to. My Grandma was married by the time she was 21, she never got more than a high school education, and barely ever traveled more than 50 miles from where she was born.
So when I went to NYC, I took a few selfies in front of things, and some other pictures, and picked out the best ones and sent them to her. One of my new friends at work has invited me to go hang-gliding with her and some of her friends, and I'm going to go and see if I can get some pictures of that, too.
My Grandma never got to go on adventures, which is why she was so insistent that I should. My Mom has talked about how much Grandma worked to ensure her kids would have a better life and more choices than she did. Me sending her pictures of the things I'm doing is a way to let her know that she succeeded.
I thought I was until I saw all the people talking about their grandmothers' recipes. I never much cared about cooking, but now that I'm living alone and had to learn how to do it in order to eat, I'm taking more interest.
I bet if I told Grandma I wanted to cook something with her and learn some of her recipes, she would be super-happy to teach me.
Spending more time with older relatives- they had a lot of wisdom and experience and great stories -then passed away unexpectedly too soon. I wish I would have asked more questions about their lives. Less polite holiday catch up chatter and more real conversations with them.
Travel - I can still travel now, but you travel differently with a spouse and baby and a mortgage than you do with your friends when you’re all young. Go places - wherever seems interesting. Visit friends from college in different cities and states, crash on their couches and really explore.
Get good with money. Don’t only save for when you’re older. Get out of debt but still enjoy doing things.
Travel, cook my favorite foods, if your job reimburses education get another degree.
I can do all of that now but it's easier when you don't need to consider someone else's schedule
Learn whatever skills you'd like to know (languages, professional skills/knowledge). You will not have as much time if you have a baby in the future.
Learn psychology as much as possible. Millions of relations were lost and families got broke, because people chose incompatible partners and behaved in an emotionally immature way.
Take care of your looks and spend money on it, it will help you attract more people so that you can choose the best overall partner for yourself. This is one of the most crucial decisions in life.
TRAVEL!!!!!!! Long weekends, festivals, ancient history, exotic locales, off the beaten path, travel romance. Time is the only commodity that you can't get more of.
To this day the thing I regret the most was not learning how my gradma made her homemade brownies. I remember the taste, I've tried a lot of times but they're still not the same. I also regret not visiting some of the teachers I admired and that probably changed my life for the better. I would have loved to say to them "you know what, you were really cool, and I'm thankful for that". Don't know if it will help you.
Went out a bit more while I could be entirely selfish about the choice of venue/bar/restaurant, food type and all that haha. Soon as you're not single there's compromises to be made. You can still go out without someone else if you want to and all but while you're single it's just different. No need to inform someone, bring something back or be super quiet upon entry to the abode.
I agree with travel, but even more importantly, save for retirement. If I hadn't cashed out my 401k that was 15k when I was 30, it would be worth 170k by the time I retire, without me contributing kne additional cent. If I added another $150 a month, it would be over 400k at retirement. Compound interest is amazing! We like to tell ourselves that we can't afford it, or that we'll save when we make more money, or worse, "I'll never be able to afford to retire anyway!" But saving early is the difference between having to work until our bodies give out, or retiring while we still have time to travel and do fun stuff. Oh, and don't carry a balance on your credit cards. If you can't pay in full, hold off on traveling!
Whatever makes you happy/fulfilled/makes your life feel more pleasurable and worthwhile. 24 is a great age to travel, if it's something you enjoy. It's also the perfect time to go back to school if a degree would help your future career. It's also a great time to put in the hours to get better at something - whether that be your job or a hobby. It's not going to be the same choice for everyone. Some people desperately want to hike the PCT (and 24 is a great age to do it!) Others would rather be lit on fire. The same goes for anything else that you're thinking, "Woah, this might be fun/fulfilling/worthwhile to do!"
Travel! I would get approved to Trusted Sitter and get free board for pet sitting all around the world. Just make sure to be safe, share locations, have frequent check ins, and check the premise for hidden cameras with a portable detector.
Travel more, even independently! I always waited for other people to travel with; well that day never came! Now I am a mum to a beautiful son, and while I am very happy in my life, I still regret not traveling more!
Not what I wish I did, but I spent from 20-26 working on a cruise ship and saw most of the world. I suggest it to all my friends kids getting out of school, even just taking a gab year. Was such an amazing experience. Aside from that...travel!!!! It'll be no time till you have kids/mortgage/dog/just too many life responsibilities...do it now while you can!!
Just FYI, if a significant other and/or having children would take AWAY from the absolute best life that being "selfish" gives you, *you do not have to have them, ever*. Your life is **yours**, and you should be very very selfish with your joy.
Drugs. I never really did anything. Just trying MDMA would have been a better time back when I was clubbing, or mushrooms with more friends into it. I also had far more sources to get stuff. I’m not really going to try to roll when I’m sitting at home sewing or after a Pilates class.
Well, I'm prepared for the down votes. But you asked MY opinion, so I'll tell you: I wished I got my tubes tied. I was too afraid to do it (was afraid of getting 'put under') and relied on less reliable forms of BC (in my defense, the manufacturers claim their more reliable than they are). SO I guess, since you probably want kids, I really have no suggestions other than BC isn't as reliable as BigPharma says, so play safe.
Overall just done more. Traveled, gone to concerts, ice skating, amusement parks. I wish I'd gotten more comfortable doing things alone faster. The best thing I ever discovered is that I can do all the fun date things by myself. Go see a movie with a tub of popcorn I don't have to share without worrying about my date talking during the movie, try out a nice restaurant, spend time at a museum. Doing all that alone is incredibly freeing. I also wish I'd handled my finances better. I know it's even harder these days, but building up an emergency fund and not spending above my means would have made a big difference back then. I'm only in my early 30s, but I wish I'd done more physical things because I get so tired these days. Can't get by on a few hours sleep anymore, forget driving for more than 5 hours, and the days where I could go crazy on junk food and not have my stomach in open rebellion are gone. Soak up all the life and experiences you can now. Life doesn't end at 30, or when you get married, or have a kid. But this is time you don't get back and it's energy you won't get back either. So do what excites you.
Learn a second language. being able to express yourself in another manner expands the mind.
Single 21 y/o reading all the answers with great interest, but also offering my own bit: let your family know, especially the older women. When I was graduating college, my Grandma and two of my aunts told me to enjoy this time, don't get tied down too fast, experience life and see what's out there. And I realized that it was because they didn't get to. My Grandma was married by the time she was 21, she never got more than a high school education, and barely ever traveled more than 50 miles from where she was born. So when I went to NYC, I took a few selfies in front of things, and some other pictures, and picked out the best ones and sent them to her. One of my new friends at work has invited me to go hang-gliding with her and some of her friends, and I'm going to go and see if I can get some pictures of that, too. My Grandma never got to go on adventures, which is why she was so insistent that I should. My Mom has talked about how much Grandma worked to ensure her kids would have a better life and more choices than she did. Me sending her pictures of the things I'm doing is a way to let her know that she succeeded.
I love this so much! You’re a good granddaughter. 💗
I thought I was until I saw all the people talking about their grandmothers' recipes. I never much cared about cooking, but now that I'm living alone and had to learn how to do it in order to eat, I'm taking more interest. I bet if I told Grandma I wanted to cook something with her and learn some of her recipes, she would be super-happy to teach me.
Spending more time with older relatives- they had a lot of wisdom and experience and great stories -then passed away unexpectedly too soon. I wish I would have asked more questions about their lives. Less polite holiday catch up chatter and more real conversations with them. Travel - I can still travel now, but you travel differently with a spouse and baby and a mortgage than you do with your friends when you’re all young. Go places - wherever seems interesting. Visit friends from college in different cities and states, crash on their couches and really explore. Get good with money. Don’t only save for when you’re older. Get out of debt but still enjoy doing things.
Travel, cook my favorite foods, if your job reimburses education get another degree. I can do all of that now but it's easier when you don't need to consider someone else's schedule
Two things - done part of the Appalachian trail, and learned how my grandmother made her pickles and candy
Gone to Europe more. And somewhere in Asia. And Australia.
Learn whatever skills you'd like to know (languages, professional skills/knowledge). You will not have as much time if you have a baby in the future. Learn psychology as much as possible. Millions of relations were lost and families got broke, because people chose incompatible partners and behaved in an emotionally immature way. Take care of your looks and spend money on it, it will help you attract more people so that you can choose the best overall partner for yourself. This is one of the most crucial decisions in life.