So my birthday is coming up (tomorrow, October 12) and I’m going to be the big T W E N T Y  O N E!! This is the last age that comes with “a gift” (16 you get to drive, 18 you can vote & gamble, 21 you can drink legally). In my life, I’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities to try new things and go to new places and I think it’s very important to keep growing as a person. Traveling and trying new experiences have had a great influence on me and I’ve put together a list of 21 adventurous things to do before 21 that I’ve completed myself & recommend for you…

1.Skydive Free falling at 14,000 feet has a way of making you feel weightless, awestruck, and peaceful all at the same time. Jumping out of a plane is the greatest rush of adrenaline I’ve ever had and a thrill everyone should experience! Just. Jump.

2.Hold an Alligator I got the chance to hold a “toddler” alligator at an alligator farm in the Everglades and the power I felt in my hands was chilling. 32 pounds of pure muscle. It was so blood-tingling to be so close to something so wild.

3.Helicopter ride Riding in the cockpit of a helicopter over Atlanta gave me such a different perspective of the city and it was crazy to see everything mapped out from a birds eye view.

4. Zip line So far I’ve been zip lining twice and each time I love the rush of flying through trees and observing the scenery in such a different way.

5. Swim with sea turtles In Grand Cayman, I got to swim with a bunch of sea turtles and they are such peaceful creatures.

6.Wake board First attempt, failed. But, my second time I got right up! This was the first water sport that I learned how to get up in the water and control a board with the movement of the waves. Super fun once you get the hang of it.

7. Ride in a bi-plane W I N D. Bring a hair tie or you will have regrets. I felt super official wearing a head set & kinda scary being in a plane so small and open but so worth it.

8. Roman Candle War Every fourth of July, I gather some friends together to go to war with Roman Candles. An empty parking lot is your safest bet, but staying in the neighborhood keeps things interesting.

9. Parasail Parasailing I’ve done twice, once in my hometown Virginia Beach, Va and again in Key West. My favorite part is getting “dipped” into the ocean.

10. Water ski Trying to water ski behind a jet ski is no easy task. Fun to try but a lot to adjust to when you’re used to managing one board on the water.

11.Swim with dolphins This was my childhood dream that came true in the Florida Keys! Dolphins are such gracious animals and extremely intelligent, if you get the chance to swim with dolphins you won’t be disappointed!

12. Indoor Skydive A lot harder than outdoor skydiving because you have a smaller space to control your movement. The slightest tilt in your hands can send you flying into the clear tunnel wall. It was quit impressive to see such a big fan “make me fly” though.

13. Snorkel Coral Reef Every time I go to Miami or The Keys I snorkel, I just love seeing all the different fish and sea life…the more tropical the better.

14. Hike Rocky Mountains I’ve been to the Rocky Mountains countless times and I have to say it’s prettiest covered in a coat of snow. However, hiking the mountains on an average beautiful day is always a different experience with the variety of rock structures and wild life.

15. Knee board It’s my favorite thing to do behind a boat (besides tubing). Skimming over the waves and swinging wide to touch the water is so much fun, but I’m always very sore after a couple times around the lake.

16. Hand feed tarpon On Islamorada in the Florida Keys, there’s this restaurant I always go to called Robbie’s where you can hand feed tarpon. They are HUGE and with teeth like sandpaper will jump out of the water to get a sardine from you.

17. Tube down river A great relaxing way to spend the afternoon is floating down the river, just pack a drink and grab a tube to tie up to your friends. Some of the realest conversations happen floating down a river.

18. Air-soft I went with my cousins who have played too much Call off Duty but it was thrilling to go through a maze and getting shot by an air-soft gun was but a sting!

19. Wake surf Kind of like wake boarding except your feet aren’t attached to the board and eventually you let go of the rope to let the waves push you behind the boat. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to ‘real’ surfing.

20. Paintball Bruises. But so worth it. Hunting people down and being chased is so suspenseful. Just don’t go when it’s too cold out because the cold paintballs hit harder!

21. Jet ski Give this girl a jet ski and there is no speed limit. Nuff said.

Spontaneity is the best kind of adventure.