About Turning 20

We all have to turn 20 at some point.

Titanic (December 19, 1997) is turning 20 this year- yes, believe it or not. And so is Harry Potter, Batman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spice Girls, Jurassic Park, Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Kylie Jenner. Snif.

I think many of us were like that too when we were still small: hoping to grow older as fast as possible to become an adult. Now, I’m 3 days before being over 19 and I've started to think otherwise.

Turning 20 is one of the most exciting birthdays that has come up so far since my 15th birthday, and the best part is that I celebrated it in Phuket, Thailand with my own freaking money!

When I was a kid, you wouldn’t know how much I wish for my birthday to come quick every year. The Mauritian festive season always ends with my birthday which usually falls on the eve of the new school year's resumption. It signified in my head the last day where truly all the fun would unleash with the last family dinners and gifts exchanged.

Let's place it this way: Everyone turning 20 this year has been roaming this earth for two decades now. Two decades. That's one fifth of a century already. By now, like me, 1997's babies must have already realized that you're almost to the point where another birthday is not necessarily a good thing anymore. I’m turning 20 next week. Whether I want it or not, it’s already a fact. So, happy birth week to myself.

We don’t want to grow old that fast anymore at this stage onward. For goodness’ sake, we still have difficulties prioritizing. Netflix is the main culprit of your issues. Watch another episode of Games of Thrones or do the laundry? Still, the matter that comes up often from my Mom is that I’m growing up become a lot like my Dad. Social Psychology says that such a transition is expected of 30-year-olds. (The more you grow up the more you are acting like your parents.) But again, at every turn in my life, I have felt that I grew way before my age.

Many would say that 20 is the most awkward age. However, for me, 19 has been the most awkward one. I complained about being trained to be independent but never being able to experience it. I wanted to take care of myself, make my own money, buy my own things and handle and live situations on my own. At the same time, I just want to be curled up with your teddy bear under a blanket while somebody else would prepare dinner. As such, I'm convinced that 20 is not going to be about this fixated taxing dichotomy of teenage-to-young adult transition. I'm over that. At least, until I'm away from home.

There are other things that I’m happy I learnt before I turned 20. It was my own personal check list I had made when I was 16. And I think it is important for anyone to imbibe within themselves before bidding farewell to their teens.

You manifest your own happiness.

Detachment is primordial.

Not everyone gets along.

You are allowed to be Selfish.

Take Criticism in your stride.

Everyone’s story is worthwhile.

Be in love with your life.

Be in madly in love with yourself.

Stand up for something.

As such, I have decided to set new bars for myself as a token to my 2nd decade walking on the surface of this planet.

1. I feel that once we leave teenage-hood even young adults get to complain about teenagers. I don’t want to do that because I have known how much I didn’t like that as the victim myself.

2. Exercising.Taking care of my body. Eating clean. I actually mean it. For once.

There are also a bunch of advice to 20-year-olds I fell upon on a forum that I felt were things I would like to be constantly reminded of:

1. Avoid instant gratification. Reward yourself only after achieving something. Don't reward yourself just because you're stressed or feel demotivated.

2. Never derail off of your studies. You will realise this after a couple of years.

3. Experiences. Collect them.

4. Learn public speaking. Endless returns guaranteed. Often we realise this very late in life. You can start honing it from the start. If you are very introvert and you blank out on stage, the best conducive environment for you to start would be any Toastmasters Club.

5. Believe in iterative learning. Small things done daily yield huge results in future. Be patient and have faith.

6. Learn a language if possible. It might help in future.

7. Make the highest possible demands from life, and when it returns your plucky optimism with coarseness, misery and apathy, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, forgive life, and try again.

8. Don't spend any time doing things that you think will make people take notice and "care". You may think other people care about that swanky new car you bought, but they don't. They either envy you for it or wish they had it, or they're just curious. In a week, yours will just be among the millions of vehicles on the road that nobody gives a second glance to.

9. The same goes with the relationships you build. Out of sight is out of mind. If you move out of a town, around one or two of the hundred people you thought cared about you back in the old town will wish you on your birthday 6 months later. Whatever you do, do for you. Nobody else cares.

I'm hoping to make my 20th year an opportunity to try everything I've always wanted to try, see places I've longed to see and to create a time panel mantlepiece-d by my social age- something I never bestowed myself with before.

1997s, let's enjoy our 20th year while it lasts. After all, we'll be only young once. And just remember, 21 is right around the corner.