As we travel this long journey called life, there are many things throughout our journey that come to represent exactly who we are as a person. We develop strong interests in certain sports, music, career paths, etc. What if we could take every piece of who we are and put it in a time capsule? Something to open in let’s say, 50 years, to remember the good old days and what we grew up knowing and doing. Putting in items that represent who we are and seeing where that leads us in the future…I think it’s a pretty cool idea, something that I might do for myself. So, here are ten things that I would put in my time capsule:

1. My First Flute (and favorite flute piece)

Ever since I was in seventh grade, I have been playing flute and I have loved every minute of it. The awards I have received, the auditions I have went through and concerts I have played… it has been a long ride, but it’s not something that I would change. It represents part of who I am right now because I am studying to become a music director myself.

2. My Favorite Choral Piece

(My favorite piece is "We Can Mend The Sky" by Jake Runestead)

Again, I started singing when I was in seventh grade and I have been singing ever since. (Well, I did sing before that, but I wasn’t trained) I don’t regret joining choir because it is part of who I am and what I have done in my life so far. I am also studying to become a choral director. So, when I graduate (not anytime soon, but in the future), I will have two degrees in music (possibly three if I decide to get a Psychology degree as well).

3. All Caps, Gowns, Chords

Well, I don’t have them all yet, but when I do get them (I plan to get a doctorate degree), I want to place them in my capsule as well. Our education is precious to everyone of us in different ways. We all choose different professions based off who we are and what led us there. The caps, gowns, chords, they are part of some of our biggest life accomplishments. They represent what got us to where we will be later in life. I want to open it up and remember what it was like to hear my name and walk across that stage.

4. Awards, Certificates

This is very similar to the caps and gowns. As we get older, we take down the high school awards because they no longer hold the place as our biggest life accomplishment. They don’t lose their meaning, but they don’t hold the top spot anymore. Our state trophies, medals and pins are some precious high school memories that are hard to let go of because we want to go back to the days and do it all over again. Just to remember what it felt like in that moment one last time…

5. Copy of My Favorite Book

Okay…now, I’m not the BIGGEST fan of reading in the world, but everyone has a favorite book. That changes over time, but whatever book it is/was meant/means something to us in some form.

6. Photo Album

Now, you might want to make extra copies of the photos, but if you don’t that is also okay. Pictures of you as a baby, throughout school, hanging out with friends…these are all precious memories that we will never get the moment to experience again, but that doesn’t mean we have to forget them completely. Photograph them and put them in an album to open up later in life so you can reflect on the good ole’ days.

7. Stuffed Animal

I know this sounds silly and some of you may laugh, but I still have the very first stuffed animal I was given when I was born. Up until now, I wasn’t sure why I have kept it all these years. But, going back, I see that I kept it because it’s part of who I am, something that was there as I was growing up. It is hard to part with something that held so much meaning to you at one point in your life.

8. Souvenirs

Some of us travel to many places a year, some of us rarely travel, but no matter how much, we always try to bring back something that helps us remember that adventure. Eventually it gets crowded in our bedroom/house and we end up selling it or donating it. Keep it and put it in your time capsule to open in the future so you can feel the excitement again when you see that souvenir you bought instead of regretting it later after you have sold it.

9. Surprise

Let one of your friends put something in there that you cannot see until you open it in the future. Not only does it make for some excitement (and maybe even a little worry depending on the friend you chose), but it holds so much meaning because your friend picked it out. They picked what they believed represented you best.

10. Letter To Myself

When I was in seventh grade, my teacher Mrs. Chapman had all the seventh graders write a letter to their high school senior self. Granted, my spelling, grammar and handwriting had all majorly improved within that time frame, but it was something that I had complete forgotten about and the day I opened it, I cried. It made me reflect on the last six years and how fast they had gone by and made me wonder what lied ahead in front of me.