Building

Creating a time capsule filled with iconic personalized memorabilia is a summer camp experience I will never forget. We would include colorful friendship bracelets, polaroid pictures, and perhaps some dirt from the camp cabins into an old shoe box with a glittery homemade label titled “Best Summer Ever 2013!” Then, that old shoebox covered in adhesive rhinestones and mismatched stickers was left at camp so others could relive our “Best Summer Ever!” 10-year-old me believed that this time capsule would be monumental to my life. How could anything beat the euphoric feeling of summer camp?

As I continued to move through my life, I forgot about my beloved time capsule. The dirt-stained friendship bracelets were now a distant memory as I moved closer to my next big milestone. It’s true what parents say about growing up. It happens in the blink of an eye, yet as a kid time moved agonizingly slow. When I entered young adulthood, I felt time passing by like I was an outsider looking in on my own life. I wanted my life to be pictureperfect, filled with exciting events, and constantly awaiting the next big moment to look forward to. Whether it was a vacation, graduation or holiday, my mental clock was always counting down until I could get to my next event.

If I were to create a time capsule of some of my most prominent memories, I find that they would all be big events in life. My cap and gown from graduation, Mickey ears from a trip to Disneyland, and trophies from competitions in high school. While I am incredibly fond of these memories and beyond grateful for the meaning they hold in my life, I can’t help myself from wondering what I would put in my time capsule if these monumental events did not occur. How would I define my seemingly mundane, average daily life at age 13? 17? Now?

These prominent milestones in my life provided me with a structured timeline of my life. Age 12: went to Disneyland. Age 16: got my driver’s license. However, these events were not how I would have defined my daily life at that age. It was the prominent role routine played in my life that allowed me to structure the timing of my life around big milestones.

live in the moment?

WRITTEN BY BAILEY MEYERS

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANNA WALTERS

ART DIRECTOR & DESIGNER AINSLEY MCRAE MODEL ADDY DONOVAN

Routine is something I strongly value in my life. It gives me structure and motivation to complete my tasks in a timely manner. Yet, I often find myself getting caught in the time warp of routine. In grade school, my routine was largely dictated by school and extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs. I had limited agency over my routine, especially involving school. Although I did for the most part enjoy school and my extracurricular activities, at times my days felt like copy-and-paste versions of the previous day. Now that I have the freedom to create my own routine, I find myself attempting to make time for the little moments that stray away from routine such as taking a new route to class, trying a new coffee shop or listening to a different playlist. As cliché as it is to say, I am beginning to find joy in the little moments.

The big events and milestones in life should be celebrated, yet these big moments should not be the only causes of excitement and joy. Savoring the pleasantries of my daily life has allowed me to recognize how important it is to live in the moment. When my main focus was on looking into the future, I let the important moments that make up my daily life slip by. If I were to create a time capsule of my life now, perhaps I would include engaging conversations, that one song I listen to every day, my recent crochet project or an iced vanilla latte from my favorite coffee shop. To live in the moment does not mean curating the most sparkly time capsule filled with perfect memories, but instead means embracing the small moments that exemplify life.