20 Things To Do In Your 20s Instead Of Party

1. Open a savings account. 

2. Learn a new language.

3. Go to Paris and let yourself stay a while—eat a croissant on the sidewalk, drink an espresso that feels like a party in your mouth, and have the brie. Always have the brie.

4. Go to Hawaii or Costa Rica and learn how to surf.

5. Dance in the moonlight.

6. Get up with the sunrise. 

7. Frequent any museums that you have the opportunity to attend.

8. Read more books—not blogs, not internet articles, not think pieces, but actual books that you can hold in your hands.

9. Travel abroad at every opportunity—see the cities you’ve been dreaming of and the little towns you have yet to know. Talk to the people who live there, eat their food, and learn a little bit about life outside your own bubble.

10. Start your yoga practice—your 30-something-year-old self will thank you.

11. Call your mom; she probably misses you. 

12. Call your dad; he probably misses you, too.

13. Call your grandparents if they’re still living and ask them as many questions about your family and history as possible. 

14. Opt for the good wine.

15. Start writing the book. 

16. Sign up for those piano lessons you’ve always thought about—and start writing that song. 

17. Use a nighttime moisturizer. Use a morning one, too. And then throw in an eye cream for extra measure.

18. Take yourself out on a date—a museum, a dinner, a movie—and learn how to be alone with yourself and your thoughts. The sooner you learn how to become your best friend, the easier life will be.

19. Remember that you get to be discerning with who gets your time, affection, and attention. You don’t have to be liberal with any of those if you don’t want to be. 

20. Give yourself grace for the times you will mess up—and there will be plenty. How you react to your failures or mistakes is the thing that matters most in the long run, so act accordingly.