20/20

Today I turn 20 - real life adulthood. And to celebrate my date of birth, I thought I'd jot down 10 things I have learned or experienced during my life so far, and 10 things I intend to continue to develop or learn. This is mostly just for selfish reasons, almost like a diary entry so I can look back and remember the morals I had when turning 20... who knows, maybe in another 20 years I'll be in prison with no morals at all - but right now, I hope you enjoy my 20 things for turning 20.

10 things I have learned:

1. Do what I love - I'm lucky enough to have an incredibly supportive family who have taught me to - corny - follow my dreams. I remember a conversation I had with my Mum 7 years ago, we were in the car driving back from school, I had just chosen my GCSE classes, and of course, Performing Arts was my top choice. This conversation lead to me telling Mum that I'm going to follow this unconventional, not so easy path of becoming an actor. And after warning me of the bumpy ride, my wonderful Mum encouraged me to go for it. Best woman ever!

2. Don't buy a children's train ticket when I'm definitely not a child - I was 18 and still getting away with buying a children's ticket on my way home from Uni... I obviously got caught out and lets just leave the rest for another time. I then decided to be a good citizen and buy a railcard.

3. Respect the language of smiling - Wise words once told by my lovely boyfriend, Ash. It doesn't cost anything to smile, it's a lovely gesture, and could do a lot more than what a grumpy face ever could.

4. Appreciate time - Since moving miles away from home, I now appreciate the time spent with my lovely family and friends. I find wherever I am, either Liverpool or Northampton, I am always missing the people from the opposite place, does that make sense? So I try to treasure the little moments with each person. My Grandma's Monday dinner is always a special moment for me.

5. Sing in the shower - sing and dance, I do it all the time. The long time it takes for me to get ready on a night out isn't due to a prolonged makeup session, but it's usually because I'll be singing too loud and dancing like everyone in the world is watching me! It's my number one favourite thing to do and will always make me happy!

6. Never refuse a lesson - I try to listen, and consider what people tell me. And trust me, it's not always just the older generation, I've learned so much from my 7 year old sisters; just listening to their lovely, insightful chit chat feeds my imagination.

7. Don't over-pluck the brows - I think we can all sympathise here, the next 10 years of my life will be allowing my brows to take the free road. An occasional trim might be needed here and there, but I honestly think natural is the way!

8. Be influenced, but be me - this kind of links in with never refusing a lesson. Like I said, I try to listen as much as I can without being an obnoxious interrupter, but I also try to consider the lessons I learn, and allow myself to have an opinion on that lesson. So, I'll be influenced by what people say, but I'll still be me, and accept that it's okay to disagree.

9. Always be open to meeting new people - I've always been a confident gal when meeting new people, both my parents are great with speaking to anyone and everyone, so I've had a prime example of how to approach strangers. You never know how a new person might influence your life!

10. Read! - In my opinion, reading is the most wonderful way to feed and allow your imagination and general knowledge to grow and be inspired. There is nothing better than being involved and intrigued by a world created in my own mind, lead by another's words.

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10 things I want to learn/do:

1. More than anything, I want to stay close with my family.

2. I want to see more of the world, currently the 3 places I have been really wow'd and inspired by are America, China, and Barcelona.

3. I would love to get rid of my temper - I get easily annoyed by irrelevant things, so it would be lovely to be calmer as I grow throughout adulthood.

4. I'd like to be involved more in world events - reading the newspaper is a perfect way to be more aware, as my Dad always tells me.

5. I'd bloody love to say goodbye to my insecurities, although I am getting so much better with not giving a shit!

6. This is a bit ambitious, but it wouldn't be too shabby to learn another language! If not a language, I'd love to be more advanced in cooking a variety of foods from all over the world! Even though a classic Sunday roast is good enough for me!

7. I'd love to learn how to knit, so that I can have lots of granny blankets to keep me warm and cosy.

8. I want to paint more! As a kid and young teen, painting and drawing was one of my favourite hobbies, and I wasn't bad! So that's a priority for the next 20 years. Maybe I'll have a little corner in my house with a big window where I can listen to a bit of Stevie Wonder and paint my troubles away.

9. I want to inspire people, in any way I can. A main factor of this would be to create a theatre company who make theatre that challenges the every day mind.

10. Be happy and stay true to myself!

Here's a random, but let's say metaphorical clip of me pointing myself in the right direction of life. (Or just getting on a train WITH A RAILCARD!)