The year was 2012: Obama has been newly reinaugurated while Adele and LMFAO are on top of the charts. Newly aged fifteen-year-old me plops down on her bed and rips out a piece of loose-leaf from her binder. With the click of a pen, she begins to write the title of a list. Thoughts and noteworthy ideas pass through her high school brain and onto the paper. Within ten minutes she is done. Finito.
She relishes at how informative she is, then just like that she shoves the paper into a drawer and forgets about it for four years.
During my annual "New Year's cleaning blowout" I dug up this list. At 19 years old, to read this piece of paper and reflect on a time where I was a freshman in high school thinking Degrassi illustrated life in a way that was—so relatable—brings comfort. It amazes me how I attempted to look after myself and hold high hopes for the future.
My perception on adulthood was immensely narrow-minded, though in a naive and innocent way. Many points on this list are doable, such as cooking a lot and being independent. Others, not so much. "Find a tasteful, modern, inexpensive place" is adorable. The same can be said about trying not to dislike a boss. It is especially humorous how I emphasized moving out by age 20.
A lot can be said about my list though ultimately I find there is a childlike mindset I lost in the span of four years. The demanding years of high school and the transition into college has disabled me from having such a grand imagination. Everything in life is outlined here on out.
The timing of finding my four-year-old to-do list could not be better. It is a reminder to not give into the predisposition of an outlined life. With only a year left to make fifteen-year-old me proud, I have a lot of catching up to do.
