What Does It Mean To Be Adventurous In Your 20s?

What was your first priority when you turned 20? Perhaps, you were in university, and you wanted to finish your program. You were eyeing graduation, waiting to walk across the stage with your fancy gown, while staring at the eyes of enthusiastic parents and relatives, with a diploma in your hand. Being adventurous can look like many different things.

Or perhaps, you were working. You were probably waiting for the day to be over. So you can finally meet up with friends, grab a few drinks, and chitter chatter on the latest gossip. Or even better, you were traveling: Exploring the world, hiking in the forests, and taking pictures by the beach. 

The Next Chapter – Will You Still Be Adventurous?

Now, where do you think you’ll be when you turn 30? 

Some may say that they see themselves behind a desk, sitting and chatting with colleagues. Or to a greater extent, managing and leading them: Being behind the boardrooms, and guiding other new university graduates on what versus what not to do. 

Most may shrug. Feeling as if the question in itself is much more challenging and difficult to answer compared to an interview assessment. Life changes, and in a decade, the world can be in a much different place. 

But beneath the plans, and the uncertainty, many people in their twenties feel a sense of worry. A worry that plans wouldn’t flourish. A worry that things wouldn’t work out or turn out the way it’s expected. Or a worry about not graduating on time. 

Other People’s Expectations of Our 20s

As someone in my 20s, I constantly feel bombarded by other people’s expectations. Since I’m in university, I feel as if I’m behind. A voice inside my head (which I despise), reminds me that I should be working, instead of attending classes. Under this strain, one of the last things on my mind was being adventurous.

Wherever I look, I see my peers working full-time jobs. Some are presenting their fancy creations with businesspeople, and others are building teams as managers. Many are already seniors within their roles: They’re perhaps the ones that will be mentoring university students throughout their internships. 

And I’m here — stuck on working multiple part-time jobs, trying to survive while I attend school. I feel as if I’m carrying much more on my shoulders. And while I look for internships, I’m constantly reminded that I may be older than the rest of the interns. 

This to me, almost feels as if I should be ahead in other stages. I shouldn’t be looking for internships now, I tell myself. I should be a manager, a supervisor, or a senior employee at any company. 

Later on, I realized that the corporate world expects everyone to venture on a linear journey. The journey which is heavily emphasized after high school graduation, meaning someone decides to enroll in college, take on internships, and graduate. Then, they’ll work full time until they retire. And yet, where is there room to be adventurous on that path?

Fortunately, most journeys aren’t like that at all. In fact, the idealistic path is often… unrealistic. Sometimes, other things pop up in life. And oftentimes, we can’t control what happens. 

An Exploration to Become Adventurous

So, how can we make the most of challenging times? The answer is by exploring. Here are some ways to do so: 

1. Embrace Change

One method is to constantly embrace change, as change can lead many people to discover new hobbies, activities, and passions. 

For example, let’s take scoring a poor mark in a course. Sure, you may have spent tons of time on the course, and hoped for a better mark. But what can you learn from it? 

Perhaps, the teaching style wasn’t for you. And perhaps, you didn’t enjoy the course content or material. But now, you know what material or course doesn’t resonate with you. So then, it’s time to try something new. 

And when you select new courses, you may sooner or later realize what your preferences or interests are. For example, you may prefer to write than to calculate, or vice versa. But how did you find out about what your true interests and passions are? 

It’s because you explored, and first found out what wasn’t for you. Then, you later realized what you preferred or were interested in. However, you would not have discovered more about yourself if you didn’t go through that first experience. 

2. Not Staying in One Lane is Part of Being Adventurous

In our 20s, most people will give the advice to “stay in one lane.” If you focus on getting that promotion, you’re grinding more hours and are in the office for longer. And if you’re focused on school, you’re suggested to focus on academics and obtaining internships, instead of worrying about other hobbies. 

And that’s often because our 20s are often seen as foundational years. Others will frame it as the time period which makes or breaks your career or your life. So, the common suggestion for other twenty-somethings is to narrow down, focus, and grind to achieve so-called success in later years. 

But how can we learn just by focusing on one path? The way to learn is by seeking out new experiences and adventures, and to take risks. But risks can only be taken… if someone decides to travel a path that is less known or commonly accepted. 

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Leaps

Perhaps, your twenties are the time to take the leap. Leap into the world of the unknown. Into a world that you never imagined. Learn something new, and share that skill with others. 

If you were working in tech, and the amount of code you need to write is stifling… you don’t always have to define yourself based on that one job. You always have the right to leave, and to explore as you need to.

And when I say this, you may be asking me.. Why are you telling me to take a risk? Are you telling me to give up everything? What if it doesn’t work out? 

The truth is that: None of us knows what will happen in the future. The world is changing, the economy is no longer the same as it was a decade ago, and the way we work will also alter as well. No one can predict what will happen. 

4. Being Adventurous Means Making the Most of Your Situation

As someone who took multiple detours, I can gladly say that I enjoyed most of what I have witnessed, and most of what I learned.  

I have worked in multiple industries, from being a makeup artist for photoshoots, to working in shelters, and to working as an administrative assistant in corporate offices. On top of this, I have tried various hobbies: From bow making, to crochet, and to sketching. 

Even if my resume looks as if I’ve been all over the place, I can never regret making the leaps that I decided. Those leaps have taught me the importance of broadening my horizons. And for discovering the different facets of myself. 

If I have never taken a creative job, I won’t have ever known I was ever artistic. And if I have never taken a job at a shelter, I won’t have ever discovered my passion for collaborating and working with other people. 

In the past, I envisioned myself as an introverted individual, primarily focused on analytical and behind the desk work. But now, after all of my work and life experiences, I get to finally see how multifaceted I am, and how my talents and passions can be used in different contexts. 

Final Thoughts on Why You Should Be Adventurous in Your 20s

By exploring multiple fields and hobbies, I have learned how to bridge gaps between different worlds. And moreover, I have discovered who I was, and am soon becoming the person that I am meant to be. 

So before you get drowned in all of those societal expectations, give yourself some time to live for once. Be adventurous.

No matter what society says, you are not your job, your education, or your relationship. You are your own unique individual. And throughout your twenties, you can continue to celebrate yourself, and discover who you truly are, through new adventures. 

Twenties are the time to make mistakes. And the time to switch or try out things which you’ve never imagined. Sure, you may be at a place where you never have imagined yourself to be. But what matters the most is that you explored, you tried, and you created. 

And because of that, once you reach 30, you’ll then realize that you have learned more about yourself, than you would have ever expected throughout your 20s. 

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