When I was a kid, I had vowed to never become an adult. At that time, adults seemed so unhappy through the eyes of a child. There were too many problems, too many responsibilities and too little fun. I wanted to stay a kid forever and always be happy, as if I lived in Neverland…

I did grow up!

Unfortunately… I grew up. I went through the stages of being a teenager, I was moody, depressed and barely enjoyed that time. Now that I’m 21 I barely remember those difficult years, but I remember the child version of myself and I can’t say she’d be thrilled with who I am today. I’m probably not as carefree as I was 10 years ago, I’m always stressed and I focus more on what I have to do rather than what I want to do. Long story short, I feel like a Disney villain instead of a Disney princess most of the time.

However, hitting 21 made me realise something… I can still be a kid

I can still have the goals and bask in the small joys. What I hated most about adults back then was that they lacked a type of wonder in their eyes, they didn’t believe in fairytales or the stories they used to read to us. Growing up, I met the tough side of life and I can see why most adults lost their spark, but I also can’t help thinking that we’ve created the whole human world we can’t escape. Maybe it’s the social anthropologist in me but our lives have been symbolically and physically constructed by us, so maybe we can alter it in ways that keep the kid in us alive.

A month ago, I made a 20’s bucket list filled with all of the things I want to do in my 20s, because we all know that we often procrastinate a lifetime bucket list.

My list is filled with big things like visiting Pocahontas’ tomb to silly things like playing paintball. I’ve always wanted to learn a new language for example and I thought I’d never have the time, but I finally got the chance to try and I’m going to take it. So I’d urge you to make your own list, no matter your age, in fact share this with anyone and they can make a 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s list. The point is to make memories like you did when you were a kid, to help you make your own dreams, small or little, a reality.

This isn’t the usual type of content I write, but today I decided to write without a purpose, just for the fun of it. So this is a tribute to my inner child and so that yours never burns out.

Have you ever thought about your inner child? We’d love to hear about your experience growing up 🙂 Go to the comments below and tell us one thing on your bucket list!

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