The arising enthusiasm I have for the upcoming summer breeze is absolutely unmatched. Yet with those feelings of excitement, as always in life, goes hand in hand with the nostalgia I feel approaching senior year. In a sense, it’s the beginning of the end. The end of my adolescence as well as the end of my childhood. Next year will be slowly, and eventually quickly, approaching a limit. A closing chapter to my high school years. And with that reminder, it’s safe to say that I feel incredibly nostalgic for the plethora of life experiences I’ve had, from feeling the heartbreak in Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, “Sour,” to the physical heartburn I’ve felt from eating too much at Souplantation.
And in times of uncertainty, which is the most overused phrase this year, it’s difficult to remember all the wonderful little moments and vibrations that I absolutely love to the highest extent. So, instead of alleviating my anxiety about college applications by actually listening to counseling presentations and making a list of colleges I want to apply to, I made a different list, inspired by the recent TikTok trend of people’s ten favorite things on Earth.
- Driving with the windows down and sticking my head outside the window as if I’m a dog
You cannot tell me that sticking your head out the window and pushing the limit to see how far outside the car you can go before being on the verge of falling out with the sudden help of the brakes, does not feel like flying.
- Pretty Lights in trees
I understand that putting fairy lights in trees is most likely a waste of energy and not good for the environment, but it’s just so magical. Also, it reminds me of the Fashion Pixiez Bratz movie, but that does not need to be explained any further.
- Screaming at the top of my lungs in the car to throwback music
My go-to songs to scream at the top of my lungs in the car are “Sk8r Boi” by Avril Lavigne, “Forget You” by CeeLoo Green, and “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. I highly recommend screaming to the music that you play in the car; it’s a wonderful harmony of catharsis.
- Laying on the grass at the beach on a windy day
I am fully aware that this is a California norm, but we do not appreciate it enough. Feeling the earth beneath you and seeing that ocean blue, is just an immaculate feeling. I could genuinely lay there for hours just letting the sun warm me and the wind cool me.
- Stargazing
The moon and the stars are absolutely divine to look at. Although it is unfortunate that I don’t know how to identify any constellations, but maybe I’ll learn if I stargaze more often. But my appreciation may stem from my love of all things astrology.
- Watching old camcorder videos, vlogs, or looking through old film and photos
Transporting yourself into a different reality is a wild feeling. So many memories, even from before our lifetime, are all captured into a little snippet of a video or just a momentous photo. Enough said.
- The sound of a ukulele playing in the wind
This is the only way I can feel that I have a slight twinge of unlocked musical prodigy inside of me. It’s also just so peaceful and calming and reminds me of good Hawaiiain vibes.
- Making eye contact with someone and understanding everything without even having to say anything
Sometimes, words are difficult and eye contact is just a better language. I think that one of my favorite things in the world, most definitely, is just having spent enough time with someone to understand their mannerisms and be able to sense their thoughts and feelings, without even having to say a word.
- Driving through long tunnels
Light at the end of the tunnel, am I right? Not to mention, but I also really want a tunnel scene like the one from The Perks of Being a Wallflower because that is just the definition of the freedom of adolescence.
- Hugs!
When you hug someone, your heartbeat touches theirs and that is the coolest thing ever! This means not only are you connecting with them physically, but emotionally, your hearts intertwine.
In all honesty, this is just a future reminder for myself to savor these things for one more time because it might be the last time I get to enjoy these things in my youth. Granted, it’s comforting knowing that these things aren’t necessarily going anywhere anytime soon, but no one really knows what the future has in store for anyone. In the meantime, I’ll be avoiding the upcoming wave of future-life planning and taking in those little things as many times as I can. It’s just the law of self-transcendence.