In light of Galentines, I had the pleasure of interviewing two lovely people about the future and what they want from it as individuals as well as in the world. The people I spoke to were Neave Glennon and Caterina Bertini.
Neave is 22 years old and in her final year of studying Media Studies at the University of Brighton, where she founded the Brighton chapter of Her Campus – serving as chapter leader for just over a year now! She loves to express herself through her writing, whether it’s through articles, short stories, or poems. She’s also a huge horror nerd so a lot of her poetry is more horror/gothic, but sometimes she likes to branch out and try something new. Neave is also very into politics and has done tons of work for UK parties and charities, representing her more practical side.
Caterina, also known as Cat, is 23 years old is studying an MA in Journalism at the University of Leeds. She is originally from Italy but has been living in England for almost four years now. She enjoys reading and writing a lot, mostly fiction and poems. She regards herself as quite a creative person in the sense that she enjoys doing creative things even if she doesn’t think that it’s her forte, sadly. Last year, she made an ashtray with clay for her flat-mates and she claims that it was probably the ugliest thing she’s ever seen in her life. Her exact words when describing it were, “Super impractical but almost funny to look at!”
When defining the ‘future’, how far ahead do you think of?
Neave: I’m actually really big on time management and planning absolutely everything, so I have the future mapped out into 3 categories: 1 year, 5 years and 10 years. I tend to look at it from that perspective when mapping out goals, but I would also think months ahead in other instances.
Caterina: When I think about the future, I guess there are at least a couple of years, if not a bit more, in my head. I feel like the future starts when university finishes. Being at uni makes me feel almost ‘protected’ by the grown-ups world and the future.
What are your current feelings about the future by your previous definition?
Neave: Nervous. As someone who likes to plan everything all out, the thought that maybe things won’t end up the way I want them to is quite a scary thought to me. On the other hand, though, I feel like thinking that far ahead has really put me on track and I think it definitely makes me more motivated and excited for what’s to come. I think the shorter the time span, the less scary it feels.
Caterina: The future… Well, it’s certainly something I do look forward to. I can’t wait for it to come, but it’s also quite scary. I mean, what if it’s not how I imagine it now? What if how I’m living now is much better than the future? I guess with what has been happening in the world in the past few years has made me aware of the fact that we can’t decide what’s about to come. At least, we can’t decide everything, and in a way, it feels exciting, but also worrying.
Describe the importance of the future to you.
Neave: The future is so important to me! There have been many things in my life I wish I could have changed, but it’s impossible to go back in time and fix anything so why wouldn’t I just make sure my future is different? There is something so amazing about growing as a person and achieving things you’ve always wanted to, and all of that comes from laying down the groundwork for your future self. I also think it’s important to me because of the hope and possibility it brings for the world as a whole.
Caterina: The future has always been a constant thought. When I was younger, I remember counting down the days for my high school diploma as something to keep me inspired and focused, as I would take that day as the day the future could finally start. Now, the future looks more concrete: I guess I know I can’t physically do everything I want, so what I’m trying to do is building a future with my knowledge and my passions, trying to shape it so I won’t be scared when it arrives, so I can look forward for more without feeling like I’ll never success the way I want to.
What do you want in the future in terms of the following; relationships, friendships, family, work/uni and self?
Neave: First and foremost, I want to see myself finish my dissertation and graduate this summer! I then want to see myself working in politics or for charities, as my dream is to be a media strategist who represents individuals and organisations that advocate for positive and vital change/progress. I think I would also love to publish a poetry collection one day too! On a more personal level, I would like to secure a flat with my partner with our pets Babe, Muffin and Squish. I would probably want to get married, but it would be a very personal elopement rather than a full-blown wedding – and I would absolutely never take anyone else’s last name! I’m still unsure on the kids front, but I would love to form closer bonds with my own family and definitely grow more as a person spiritually and mentally before I even considered going down that route. There’s a lot I have left to learn in life, so mainly I just want to make sure I’m working my way through it in a way that feels natural to me.
Caterina: I would like to find a job in the creative industries, find a lovely flat for me and my bunny so we can both be happy and feel at home. I’d like to work for a few years, build my career and travel a lot – I wouldn’t want to live on my own, though, although after 4 years of university I can easily say I don’t want to live with strangers anymore. Then, when I feel like I am ready, I’d like to start my own family. I love kids and I would love to have some. I guess that’s not the future my younger self thought for me – in fact, I never wanted kids before, and I always aspired to be famous and rich… That doesn’t really belong to me anymore. As long as I’m happy, and healthy, and I am surrounded by people I love, that’s really all that matters for me now.
What would you like to see in the world in the future?
Neave: There’s so much I would like to see in the future. I think one of the most important things to me is seeing climate change being taken seriously, as we’re kind of in a situation where because we’re not seeing it as much as other countries, we kind of just brush it to the side. I think it’s definitely a kind of ‘western ignorance’ that I just can’t really stand anymore. Not only does it get in the way of climate change, but also racism, sexism and extremely important human rights issues. I definitely would like to see us step away from this and take a look at ourselves and really question what we’re doing and why we’re not doing enough. Will this happen though? I guess we will have to see.
Caterina: I’d like a kinder, fairer world. Sometimes it’s very depressing to read the news and think about the future. I would have never thought Covid could happen, yet now I don’t remember a world without it. It’s… sad. But I have high hopes for the future. I hope my generations and the ones to come will finally build something better, something more inclusive. I know I am a very privileged person, so I think it’s sort of my duty to help other people have the same opportunity as I have had.
If you could say something to your future self, what would it be?
Neave: I just really hope she’s learned how to drive.
Caterina: I hope you’re happy. And I hope I can be proud of you. I hope that everything we have been through was worth it in the end.
Words by: Ellis Idris
Edited by: Anna Duffell