“You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen!”
Hearing songs and seeing movies with fresh seventeens made me always think that once I hit the age life will be different. Full of adventure. Free. Once again I was proven wrong.
Being 17 is not like the media describes it. You still are obligated to listen to your parents, go to school (which is starting to take up all of your free time) and do your household work. Yet something changes. You feel grown up, you feel the responsibility and people seem to trust you more. Afterall, you are almost an adult right? Still, it is important to make time so that you can make most of your teenage years. They will be gone faster than you think. Here are few of my tips 😉
- Make a bucket list
This is one of my favorite things to do. Be it a weekend or holidays, take a day off from your life and start dreaming. Prepare some frozen pizza so that you don’t have to waste time making food, get everyone out of the house, get some music on and you are ready to begin. What do you want to go through until you are officially adult? Want to go on a ball and dance waltz, want to fall in love, go on a road trip with your friends, face your biggest fear or improve relationships with your parents (which you should aim for anyways)? You can do it all. Writing it down makes you focus on what you really want and having it on a visible place urges you to do so.
Extra tip: How about making a bucket list with your friends? Everything is better when you have somebody to share it with!
- Write a diary
I started writing my diary when I was twelve because I wanted to practice English writing and I don’t regret single minute spent doing it. Not only it helped me endlessly with learning this beautiful language, but it also helped me deal with difficult situations, celebrate my little victories and realize that my life is not as boring as I thought it was. Above that all, reading through my diaries is the best entertainment I can imagine.
- Do something crazy
Go wild. Not in a bad way, but make sure to be crazy until you can. The memories you will make these years will be the most treasured ones. And even if they are so embarrassing that you feel like disappearing under the black ground, you sure will laugh at them later.
What is your most embarrassing story from your teenage years? Share them with us!
- Do, do and do
I am not going to lie, life of seventeen year olds is fast. Or should be. Personally, I do the IB Diploma, am part of several charities, I play sport and go on tournaments, I tutor and babysit (because otherwise I would be broke :/), I spend the money during the sleepless Friday evening (sometimes Saturdays as well) and I hang out with my family during Saturday and Sunday. Some days I live on coffee and energy drinks. Or when I finally have the time, I sleep days. At this part of life you should try to do as much as you can, because soon enough you will have to work then children will come and you will realize that you never got the chance to try what you wanted.
- Be free
Sure your parents are still responsible for you, so you can’t do whatever you want. But being free is a state of mind rather than an actual thing. Being free means being satisfied with what you do and who you are. Being free means dreaming and not having to feel guilty about it. Being free means having your own opinions and show the world who you are. Being free means that you take your own decisions even if people around you do not approve that. Being free means BEING YOURSELF.
Everyone will have a different opinion about what should be done at the age of 17. These are mine. And I promise that if you do these, you won’t regret.
