Hey y’all,
Wow, summer went by pretty fast- and I laugh as I say that because I was the one crying at the beginning not wanting to leave my friends thinking I would never see them again.
Haha, was I wrong! It went by in the blink of an eye…
I noticed a lot of people said that this summer felt different, and truly I think it is because we are growing up. I know personally I was on a work-eat-sleep-repeat cycle for weeks on end it felt like. Averaging 66 hours a week wasn’t the first thing I wanted to check off on what do you want to do this summer, but hey fish have to swim, birds have to eat.
At the beginning of this summer, I took a step, or I should say leap, out of my comfort zone and I set myself free from any and all things. At the age of 19, almost 20 I found myself not living for myself and I knew it had to end. It was like one day, I woke up and decided to live my life for myself and only myself. Maybe it was my new waitressing job, or maybe it was just being home after a long school-year that kicked my butt into high gear about literally, treating myself.
I have people in their 40’s, 50’s even 70’s telling me that they wish they did what I was doing now when they were my age. They would tell me, “don’t wait the 20 years I did to start living for you” and well I took that to heart, and here I am… with a bucket list and all.
“Wild Child Adventures” is what I like to call it – I know how original, but here are the top 5:
First thing on it: “Go out to the Wild, Wild West”, meaning in my head to pack up your bags and buy a one way ticket to Colorado, or Utah, or maybe even California. Bold choice I know, but if I don’t do it now, when will I? I want to ski and hike the Rockies, I want to get lost in Los Angeles, California, and I want to step my foot into the Great Salt Lake. I just want to see different things.
Second thing ties in with the first, travel wise. “Backpack the Amazon Rainforest” Imagine how cool that would be. Best part, I want to do it with the native guides in the area. I want to feel the culture and get the full experience of it. I’m not sure how long I would go, or even where I would end up but it’s an experience I want to live… Just gotta convince mom first, right? Maybe she’d come with.
Number three: To be successful with school, as well as my career. I mean, I think anyone who goes to school or has a dream in mind wishes this upon themselves, and I do really wish it upon myself. Wildlife Conservation Biology can take me into many career paths, and the only thing I want is to be successful and happy with it for myself.
Fourth thing on the list kind of takes a sharp right turn. I want to be an influencer, and I am starting to do so with a blog I am currently working on, it’s still deep in the works of being put together but it is a place I have documented every hike and adventure I have been on, a place for me to vent, to express my words and a place for me to help, inspire, and influence people. Maybe it is because I just care for people, maybe it is because growing up wasn’t the easiest experience, or maybe it is because of Her Campus with empowerment to all, who knows.
The fifth thing on my list, “To be happy, always.” It took me a little while to realize my whole life is in my control, what I want to do, who I want to be in my life as well as my atttitude and mood, I didn’t and don’t want to live dependently anymore. Will I have bad days? Of course. Some days will I take a look at this list and think I’m out of my mind crazy? Probably, but one of the very few things I want to be/think/do is happy. So here’s to making a promise to myself, to always be happy, for me myself and I.
So stay tuned, maybe this will be the year where I start to cross things off of this list, or maybe I’ll just add more to it. All I know is that I’m going places, I’m doing things, and I am so excited.
Xox
Allison