Ever feel like you're a little girl stuck in a woman's body? Like when you laugh outloud at the goofy new Burger King commercial (spic-eeeyy) or give your boyfriend a wet willy and find it absolutely hilarious? I do. Some things never get old, and while it seems like we twenty-somethings (at least this one) struggle to portray ourselves as the adults we want to be, I'm starting to realize that maybe it's okay to keep our youth a little bit longer than we think.
Growing up is strange, especially at the stage in my life I'm at now - assumed to be an adult, but still feeling so much like the college student I was just a short year ago. I'm trying to be independent and on my own, managing my own finances and responsibilities, but quickly realizing that's easier said than done. It's a learning process, and I have a feeling that learning will continue well past my twenties.
This brings me to a recent fabulous article I read in Cosmopolitan magazine's July issue titled "50 Things You Should Have Never Stopped Doing." Apparently a recent study found that inducing feelings of nostalgia helped reduce feelings of loneliness and stress, making one feel more loved and supported by those around them. Interesting - most of the time, it seems like we're so eager for what's ahead rather than stopping to reflect on what's behind us. We're always looking forward to that next big thing in our lives, often spending the days prior just counting down the time and waiting for what's next.
But as I always say, the way you live your days is the way you live your life - making the most of each day is so important to overall happiness. And now, Cosmo suggests this might mean bringing back a few of the shenanigans of your youth. If you snag the full July issue (totally worth it - Rihanna's on the cover), you'll find all 50 suggestions for the best flashbacks, but below are my top ten to get you started.
1. Listening to the Spice Girls - God knows nothing gets a girls night started like Wannabe.
2. Doing the "beep the horn" gesture to truck drivers - A sure way to add a little pizazz to this summer's road trip. :)
3. Adopting a fake accent for a night out at a bar - The Irish accent never gets old.
4. Designing the cover of a mix CD with a Sharpie - Or in my case, labeling the CDs you create for your best friend based on the problems in both of your love lives (with a lightening bolt).
5. Making cookies for the sole purpose of eating the raw batter - Hello? That's totally the best part.
6. Dressing festively for the Fourth of July (and Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, etc.) - Festive temporary tattoos optional (just don't apply them upside-down...twice).
7. Wearing your hair in braided pigtails - Adorable at any age.
8. Drinking chocolate milk - research found it's one of the best things you can drink after a workout - Research or no research, definitely a must.
9. Choreographing dances (or just relearning the Britney "...Baby One More Time" routine from you talent show...) Dancing never gets old...and neither does Britney's first album.
10. Treating September like it's the beginning of the year: Buy new office supplies (including cute erasers,) and pledge to get an A in memo writing...A 12-pack of the best colored Sharpies can go a long way.
I love these. Makes us realize that some things should never get old, especially the sense of humor and love for the little things in life you had as a little girl. What did you do as a little girl that you still do now, or wish you still did now?
Always,
j.cole
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