19 Goals for my 19th Year

I just turned 19! Woohoo!! 

I can hardly believe sometimes how old my friends and I are getting. I feel like it was just yesterday that I thought getting your driving permit was old. As I have started college and am starting to get a sense of where my life is going, I am trying to live with less regrets. So, in order to do that, I have come up with a list of 19 things that I want to do this year, as a 19-year-old.

The 19 goals for my 19th year:

1. Write and post 50 blog posts – I keep putting off writing and posting on this blog because I’m nervous and a perfectionist. However, this is something that I’ve wanted for a while now and I have to start somewhere. I’m hoping that this will finally give me the push that I need to get this going! (1 down, 49 to go!)
2. Get to 500 followers and 100 posts on my blog Instagram – This goes hand-in-hand with goal #1 because as well as wanting to write more, I also want to improve my social media presence.
3. Paint a denim jacket (or shorts) – I’ve wanted to paint denim for a while because I love the way that it looks and I think it would be a fun project to do with my friends!
4. Learn how to use my new camera – I got a new camera for my birthday which is something that I really want to learn how to use well and take great pictures. 
5. Be more comfortable asking my friends and family to take pictures of me (especially when I think I’m looking good) – I’ve never been one to ask for people to take pictures of me even if I want them, generally because I’m nervous or don’t want to seem conceited. However, I know that there’s nothing wrong with it and I need more pictures. I want to step out of my comfort zone and be more confident about this. 
6. Decide on a major and whether to stick with chemistry or not – My college major is something that I’ve been debating since day one. At the end of this year, I have to officially declare my major so I am aiming to gain more conviction in my choice. 
7. Write 25 letters to friends and family – I love all of my friends and family and so many of them have had a big impact on my life. I want to use writing letters as a way to make sure that they know that. I love getting “snail mail” and I know my friends do too, and I find it much more personal and meaningful than a text or email which is why I want to do it this way.
8. Finish my needlepoint belt – I have been working on this belt for over 6 years now and I thought that I was done earlier this spring but it turns out that I need a couple more rows of stitches. So, now I am determined to finish it for good and wear it!
9. Try swing dancing – I saw the Boston College swing dance group perform this spring and it looked like such a great thing to do that it made me want to join. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at dancing but I want to give it a shot and jump out of my comfort zone. 
10. Take an international trip – I have so many trips on my bucket list right now. It has been a few years since I have traveled abroad, so I really think that this year is the one where I should go explore somewhere new! 
11. Go to a pilates class – I am always in search of new ways to be active and workout. I had the chance to try a 15-minute pilates class a couple of years ago and I loved it, so I want to jump back into that.
12. Learn how to do basic coding – Coding is something that is growing increasingly important in the world and in my life. There are things that would be much easier if I knew how to code them myself, especially with this blog, so I really want to push myself to learn this. 
13. Have a cookie party at BC – I love baking cookies and I love my friends at BC, so why not combine them and have a cookie party! I am so excited to have an oven in my new apartment because it means that I can bake, and I really want to share that with the people around me. 
14. Ride a rollercoaster – love riding rollercoasters! I didn’t ride one when I was 18, so I am determined to change that this year and go ride a rollercoaster.
15. Learn how to make doughnuts at home – Making doughnuts at home is something that I have wanted to try for a while, but have never done it. Sometime this year I want to figure it out, even if it takes a couple of tries.
16. Learn how to tame my frizzy-curly mane of hair – I love having curly hair, but sometimes I just don’t know what to do with it. I’ve tried so many products, but this year I want to get into a good routine with my hair that will highlight it’s natural curliness but is also easy and doesn’t make it too frizzy. 
17. Do 10 things that I’ve never done before – Jumping out of my comfort zone is not something that I am unfamiliar with, but it is really easy in college to get into a mundane routine. I want to break out of that routine and explore what the world and my school have to offer. There are so many interesting things always happening on campus and I want to get out there and try some new things. 
18. Go on 5 more “sister-dates” – I took my sister out for dinner a couple of weeks ago and she and I had a great time hanging out, getting dinner, and laughing together. I want to do more of those, especially because I am away at school for so much of the year and it is important for us to spend time together. 
19. Visit a state that I’ve never been to before – I want do this for a few reasons. One, I realized that I’ve only been to 15 of the states in the US, meaning that there are tons more out there that I haven’t seen yet! Two, because people come to Boston College from all over the country (and the world!) it means that I have friends in so many new places that would be fun to visit. Finally, my older brother just took a job in Wisconsin, a state that I have yet to see, and I would love to get out there to visit him sometime this year. 

So that’s it! 19 goals for my 19th year here on earth. I will definitely keep you all updated throughout the year as I check these things off of my list!