Dear Mr. Pattinson, (May I call you that?)
I implore you, what does living a full life mean to you? Is it saving world hunger? Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef? Having an awesome family life?
When I was seventeen, I made a list of things to accomplish by the time I was 21. These were meticulously thought over, carefully composed goals based on a balance between what I wanted to achieve in my life, what was reasonable to try and achieve in four years, and a couple of reach goals just for kicks. After tucking it into a nook in my bookshelf, I honestly forgot about this list. Last night, as I was digging for books to help me with my thesis, I stumbled upon the list for the first time since I wrote it. It looks a little something like this:
Before I’m 21 I will:
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Kiss a stranger
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Fall in love
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Go on a real spring break with my college roommates
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Change someone’s life for the better
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Travel
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Begin the next Great American Novel
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Do something reckless and stupid just for fun.
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Go on a Fairytale date
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Give my high school a nice donation to show them how important they are
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Meet Robert Pattinson
After chuckling at some of my more comic desires at seventeen, I slowly realized (very proudly, I might add) that I’ve almost completed this entire list with one month to go until my twenty first birthday. I kissed a stranger (we can talk about that over lunch), I fell in love (briefly, but it happened). I went on the most epic spring break to Disney World with my roommates (just because Mickey Mouse isn’t real doesn’t mean that our spring break wasn’t). I would like to think that I’ve changed someone’s life for the better although that story is too personal to share via the Internet. I’ve traveled to multiple awesome places in the last four years. I started the next Great American Novel (watch out high schoolers everywhere! It’s in the works). I played hookie one time for the sake of spontaneity and the repercussions definitely labeled that adventure as reckless but fun. I went on a date at the top of the most beautiful mountain overlooking Florence and it was magical and I currently have a donation fund pending for my high school that I am hoping to give soon.
And so, Mr. Pattinson, where does that leave us? A great Twilight character once said, “I’m nothing if not thorough,” and personally, I concur. Thus, I beg you, I entreat you, if you happen to read this one day (preferably before the end of December) and you happen to have something to do in Boston, I promise I can show you the best flatbread pizza of your entire life. Also, we will make you that week’s Campus Cutie. My email is on the homepage.
Most sincerely,
20 ¾ and counting