Life is too precious not to live it to the fullest. It can be all too easy to become comfortable with the concept of living for the future. It’s like people are waiting for death or some sign telling them to go live their lives. It can seem all too simple to just live day-to-day, letting whatever comes, come, but honestly, it’s one of the hardest things to do. The purpose of the bucket list is to kick yourself into gear, encourage you to push yourself, and live life for yourself.

    The bucket list comes from the phrase ‘to kick the bucket,’ which is a nice little way of saying when you die. So, therefore, a bucket list is a list of things you do before you die. It was an awfully popular trend in the 2000s where people would write them on a whim to explore the most courageous sides of themselves. There were movies like “The Bucket List” (2007) and even Disney Channel’s “16 Wishes” (2010) based on this concept. It revolutionized the creative and courageous thoughts of teenagers, yet most people would not actually complete the list. It was simply just a symbol for people to share their deepest desires with others and have something to hope for. 

   Lately, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of the bucket list. For example, the movie “The Fuck-It List” (2020) and the Nickelodeon show “100 Things to Do Before High School” (2014). Although the new reasoning behind it is very upsetting. The bucket list has once again become very important in the face of the end of the world. People are realizing that they have to prioritize themselves and what matters to them, especially in a global pandemic, because they never know what their last moment could be. 

   Writing this article inspired me to write my own bucket list, but first I had to think about what that actually constitutes. Is it your career goals? Your aspirations for current/future relationships? Is it (to quote Robbie Shapiro from Victorious) “to ride a pony, take a cooking class,” or just words you write to imagine a better version of you? Is it the things you want to do that are so outrageous you don’t dare say them aloud? And in this climate, why write one at all? I mean, the chances of ever returning to normalcy are slim. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. It could just be whatever comes to mind, letting your intuition guide you towards your desires. It could be just as simple as the things you want to have done in your life so that you could say you lived. 

    But in the actual end it doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s not about the list. It’s what the list stands for, honesty and bravery. The importance lies within your ability to even make the list and the fun comes in your willingness to complete it.

    There are about a million things I want to do before I die, like have a family and a successful career, maybe a yacht. But my bucket list is for all the outrageous things I would love to do that would make great stories to tell my grandkids. If you can’t think of any stories to tell your grandkids I highly suggest writing a bucket list.

Ariel’s Bucket List:

• Travel the world

• Write a book

• Skydive

• Meet Rihanna

• Dance in the rain

• Hang out the top of a limousine

• Do something that nobody thinks I can do

• Find a stray puppy

• Transform a school bus into a house or lounge

• Have someone buy a song I wrote

• Marry rich at least once

• Make a small fortune off a dumb invention 

Ariel Snead is an 18-year old writer, student, influencer, and journalist from Baltimore, Maryland. She is currently pursuing Media Management at New York University. She hopes to develop a career involving media and its influence while also pursuing writing. You can find her on Instagram @mystic.ari and on Twitter @arielvshae

This article was edited by Executive Editor Sarah Diver

Copyedited by Tah Ai Jia