Only 100 Years

"Age is not how old you are, but how many years of fun you've had." - Matt Maldre

Have you ever had one of those nostalgic days where you look through old pictures of when you were little or put on an old CD or playlist?

Recently, I was feeling nostalgic and decided to go through all the old songs on my phone. One hour into my day dream, one song snapped me out of my trance: "100 Years" by Five for Fighting.

For the past few weeks, this song seemed to keep creeping itself back into my thoughts again and again and again. Getting ready for the upcoming school year, there are many things to do: register for school, take senior pictures, participate in a senior work day, choose colleges to send applications to, pick a career to pursue... The list could go on forever. While I have so many things to do, I can't seem to get a certain captivating lyric out of my head.

In the song "100 Years," this lyric is constantly repeated, "There is never a wish better than this when you've only got 100 years to live." With adulthood quickly approaching, this lyric has me thinking not only of my past but also my future.

While I want to be successful in my many years to come, I definitely don't want to waste them. I plan to have as much fun as one possibly can, so that when I do have to say my temporary goodbyes, there will be no regrets to leave in my wake- only all the things I proved I could do and all the dreams I never stopped chasing.

To help me do this, I decided to get creative. I thought bucket lists were a little overused, so I made a Life Jar instead. It holds all of the things I want to accomplish in my short but precious life: future goals, projects to do with my friends, places I want to see, and well...my dreams.

I only have a few that I came up with on a whim, but here is what I have come up with so far:

The first thing is to learn how to surf. I have always loved swimming ever since I was a little girl; it's probably the reason why I liked the Little Mermaid so much. If I was a demigod and had the choice to pick a Greek god as my parent, I would choose Poseidon. The smell and sounds of the oceans are my calling. I feel at ease and like I have no problems in the world when I am six feet below sea level.

My next goal is to fall out of the sky. Yep, that's right, go skydiving. To tell you the truth, I am actually afraid of extreme heights. However, that is why I want to do it! I won't be told what to do by my fears. I will crush them and prove I'm the boss.

My third aspiration knocks out two birds with one stone: go backpacking through Europe. Just like how I love the ocean, I equally love the "ocean for land lovers": forests. Some of my favorite things to do when I'm not playing mermaid are hiking and rock climbing. I love how vast and endless the world can look in a thick, green forest. Plus, I love the innumerable amount of lakes, rivers, streams and, of course, waterfalls. I have always wanted to travel the world, so this is a perfect way. Exploring the countryside, going from town to town, country to country and seeing this unbelievable world from all possible angles is exciting. First, I'll have to obtain a high school degree and a college degree to help pay for this wanderer's expedition, but I'm not worried. I'll get there one day.

Lastly, I want to help change as many people's lives as I can. After high school, I am joining the military and pursuing a career in the medical field as a surgeon. I hope to eventually get the opportunity to participate in the program Doctors Without Borders, where I'll be able to travel the world and give medical care to developing third-world countries.

I know that my heart will lead me to do a hundred other things in the future. My ultimate goal in life is simple: to do as many exciting and challenging things as I can and to never let any opportunities pass me by.

After all, I only have 100 years to live.