In our society, people like to buy stuff. It's a desire that we were all born with. As a teenager, we are constantly being bombarded with media and advertisements trying to enforce the idea that happiness is a matter of having the best clothes, having the latest model of a car, or having the newest iPhone. Of course, there is a certain satisfaction for awhile, once we buy these things, but it soon loses its thrill; we move on to the next purchase. I was stuck in this loop, as many teenagers are, for pretty much all my life. Ha, I mean I bought two Apple Watches just so I could say that I got it first! And that's exactly what society tells us to do. But, this year at college, I found a better way to spend my money and feel alive:

Stop buying stuff, and starting buying experiences.

This phenomenon is really not all that new, but not a lot of the younger generations know about it. A psychologist named Thomas Gilovich has been working for almost a decade trying to figure out which makes a person happier; material purchases, or experiential purchases. Of course experiential purchases make a person happier because there is a certain sense of anticipation and excitement when looking forward to a experience!

This past year I have personally tried my best to focus on experiential purchases instead of materialistic ones. Instead of buying stuff, I have saved my money to be able to backpack across the country on a bus... By myself. And the entire time I felt incredible infinite. Ever since that trip I am just counting the days until my next trip. Throughout the year I have been to Florida twice, which is pretty far from Wisconsin. I am also moving to Phoenix, Arizona this next year, but that's another story. And this summer I am backpacking through Mexico with two of my best friends.

Experiential purchases don't even have to be huge giant trips, just go out and DO something for a change. Memories are more powerful than things.