20 Things I Hope I Never Forget About My 20s

I got this idea from Whitney and loved it and knew I wanted to write my own. I love being in my 30s. I'm getting more comfortable in my skin. Advocating for myself. Standing up for myself. Getting wiser and more mature. But my 20s was such a magical decade and a lot of really awesome stuff happened I do not want to forget.

1. Graduating college and spending the summer after with girlfriends. In college I learned friends can be family. I met so many wonderful people in college that I still talk to to this day and I am so thankful for that. I will never be one of those people who declares college the best time of my life. But I did learn a lot about myself. I grew up a bit. I had real life experiences and made friends with some really good people and I don't want to forget that.

2. Going to graduate school for theology and graduating was one of the hardest things I ever did. It stretched me. I will forever treasure that experience of deeply knowing my God and wrestling over theological issues. Debates and discussions with friends and fellow students. Long conversations with my dad about what I learned in class. It was a challenging time, but it's one I look back on with fondness. I'm proud of what I accomplished.

3. Accepting my first full time job. My first salary, 40 hour a week job! I felt like I arrived. I was an event planner and I loved it. It was hard work and stressful but I could be creative and I loved the adrenaline rush of it all.

4. Making a soul mate list. My best friend Claire and I had some bad luck with boys. We went on some pretty terrible dates. So we put together a list of non-negotiable traits our future husbands had to have. I will always remember sitting in her living room putting that list together.  

5. Dating Garth. He was my first real boyfriend and I loved every second of our whirlwind romance. I still do. He worked until 10:00 p.m. so I would come over after and we would hang out until 1 in the morning and then I would drive home and wake up at 5:00 a.m. to nanny. The crazy stuff you do for love.

6. Getting engaged! G proposed on our first anniversary of dating and I was not expecting it at all. But I knew I wanted to marry him during the first month of our relationship so I was ready. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise to celebrate. It is still to this day one of the happiest moments of my life.

7. Marrying the love of my life. Growing up I didn't dream of getting married. Actually, deep down I didn't think I ever would get married. I was so picky and I never had a serious boyfriend so you can imagine my surprise when I fell head over heels in love with G. When you know you know. The saying is true. Our wedding day was the best day of my life. It was perfect. Being surrounded by everyone you love all in the same room. Celebrating you. Cheering you on. It's one of the best experiences I've ever had and I look back on that day fondly.

8. Honeymoon in Hawaii. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The honeymoon is the best vacation you will ever take. Everything is so exciting and new AND you're in paradise. Does it get better than that? Oh, it does. When you get home you get to open wedding presents. Kauai will always have a special place in my heart.

9. Buying our first mattress. It was the first time I truly felt like an adult. Buying a mattress was such an adult decision and it was fun! I just wish someone told me to splurge and buy the king mattress though. It would have been worth it!

10.The weddings you get to attend and stand up in. Instead of all the graduation parties you attended every weekend after high school you now get to go to all your friends weddings. One summer G and I had eight weddings! I love weddings so much. I think it's such a privilege to a part of someone's special day. A day they will never forget. 

11. Living in my first place with a boy. Our first apartment was 400 square feet, but I loved it. I will always remember starting our life there. G's dinners when I came home from work. Sleeping on an air mattress the first few months of marriage. Deep cleaning the whole place in less than an hour. The drug bust across the hall. The Die Hard and James Bond movie marathons. Bike riding around the nearby lake. That red wall I adored.

12. Hosting and attending our first dinner parties. I remember our first year of marriage G and I had hosting dinner parties down to a science. We always made Costco Spinach Pasta, salad, and garlic bread. We each had our roles and we executed perfectly. Our menu has expanded since then, but I'll never forget hosting and attending our first few. I remember thinking, "This is what being an adult is like. I like it."

13. Buying our first house. There is nothing like that feeling of getting the keys to your first house. I remember running into each room of the house and yelling "It's ours!" and I remember not being able to sleep that night because it was too quiet. No neighbor slamming a door. No water turned on and off. Just silence. It was golden.

14. Settling into a new town and a new job. Big life decisions. Being a grown up is hard sometimes. But loving your new job. Meeting awesome new people through work and church and feeling at home is priceless. 

15. Watching G get baptized. It is one of my most proud moments of being his wife. Watching him publicly declare his faith. Tears in eyes. Such a beautiful moment I don't ever want to forget. 

16. Leading small group. G and I led a few small groups for a good few years and made lasting friendship. Had deep, real conversations. Developed authentic relationships. We laughed together. Cried together. Talking about meaningful things. Went on vacation together. Talked late into the night. Did life together. 

17. Hosting my first major holiday. I loved every second of hosting. It was Thanksgiving and my brother and SIL came and helped carve the turkey. It was such a fun day. The weather was unseasonably warm so there was football throwing in the front yard. Appetizer station. Drink bar. Candles burning. Turkey cooking. I mean, even our ice machine worked for the first time since we moved in. It was all straight out of a holiday special and I loved it.

18. Learning to cook. Oh, how far I've come! The first time I went to the grocery store I held a bulb of garlic up to a sweet lady and asked her if it was minced. She smiled politely and showed me where to find minced garlic. It was an adventure but I'm getting better.

19. Flying down to Florida to see the grandparents. It was our first married Thanksgiving. Flights were crazy expensive. But we knew we had to go. It was important to us. We had the best time. It was precious quality time with grandparents and a vacation G and I love to talk about. It was the last time we saw my grandpa. It was the best decision that we went and I would do it all over again if I could.

20. The moving around. All the moving around. Moving home from college. Moving to two different apartments and then to our first house. So much moving. Bless our family and friends for helping us move from top floor apartments for pizza and beer. I'm pretty sure we're all too old for that now. 

What won't you forget about your 20s?