Whenever the stress of school and adulthood begins to feel overwhelming, my mind always reflects back on simpler times: childhood. When we are younger, we can’t wait to grow up, never truly understanding what that means. I remember my parents and other adults in my life telling me to not grow up too fast, to enjoy being young while I can. I also remember shrugging off this advice, convinced that grown ups were lying to me because they wanted to keep their cool adult club secret. Getting to stay up late? Eating cake for breakfast? Getting to drive? I couldn’t wait to grow up and make my own rules for my own life. Now, as I cry into my piles of homework and student loans, I think back nostalgically on some of my fondest childhood memories, wishing I could go back, even for a day.
In no particular order, here are ten things I miss from my childhood:
1. Coming inside for hot chocolate after playing in the snow all day
Nothing beat your mom’s hot chocolate (especially when she threw in the mini marshmellows).
2. Playing with your Game Boy on family road trips
My personal favourite games were Mary Kate and Ashley Sweet 16: Licensed to Drive and The Urbz: Sims in the City.
3. Sharing your discman with your friends at Recess
Everyone knew you were cool if you were walking around the school listening to these bad boys, sharing one side of the joint headphones with your BFF (bonus if you were blasting Avril Lavigne).
4. The House Hippo Commercial
I can’t be the only one that thought these things were real – and was absolutely terrified of them!
5. Slumber Parties
Some of my best memories happened at slumber parties. Eating copious amounts of junk food, gossiping about our school crushes, watching Mean Girls for the 100th time, and staying up way past your bedtime – I lived for these nights. Honestly, I’m ready to call my friends right now and host another one – but this time we’re all old enough to drink wine.
6. Being able to stuff your face without judgment
Okay, to be fair, I still do this, but at least when I was two everyone thought it was cute when I had cake all over my face.
7. Book Fairs
I was PUMPED for the Scholastic book fair every year. My mom would give me twenty dollars – which was like 100 when you were nine – and I’d go wild. New Junie B. Jones book anyone? Dear Dumb Diary? You also had to throw in the adorable bookmarks with kittens all over them. Now, I just get to go to the bookstore and cry over my $200.00 textbooks.
8. Going to Blockbuster
Yes, Netflix is 1000 times more convenient, but there was something super fun about getting to go to Blockbuster. Whether it was for a slumber party or a family movie night, I loved browsing through the selections of movies, reading the backs of each cover. It was an experience: as essential as buying the popcorn you’d eat while you watched it.
9. ALL of the original Disney movies
While we’re on the topic of movies, who can forget these gems? (teenage Zac Efron anyone?). My personal favourites: High School Musical, Get a Clue, Read It and Weep, and The Even Stevens Movie.
10. Getting to see my family everyday
Most of all, I miss just being around my family every day. Eating dinner together each night, movie nights on the weekend, all the stupid fights over the remote with my brother – I miss it all (please don’t ask why we did this to our dog, I have no answer).
Well, HCUBC, I hope that this article allowed you to take a trip down memory lane. There are so many other things to mention, but I would probably end up quitting school, moving back home, and refusing to ever grow up if I thought about them. I guess adulthood has its perks too, at least I can drive a car outside the confines of my backyard now.
All images taken from Google images and my mom’s Facebook photo albums