Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Greece Santorini Travel Adventure Sunset
Greece Santorini Travel Adventure Sunset
Jackie Ryan / Her Campus
SBU | Life > Experiences

The Story from My 90-year-old Self

Ayla Batz Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Each person has places they want to see and things they want to try. As many call it, a bucket-list. The thing about bucket-lists though, are they are usually forgotten about. You make one in the beginning of summer saying you will go to the beach, drive-in movies, mini golfing, make a lemonade stand, and go to a baseball game. By the end of summer, the only thing you have marked off is the simple one of eating s’mores.

I do not want a bucket-list. I want a story from my 90-year-old self.

I want to make sure these things happen. I want to experience all that life has to offer. I want to see the world we are born to love. I want to lighten up my soul when I realize I made it. No timeline, just spontaneous.

Now, it is good to start simple and just enjoy the little things in life. Which is why my list has both extreme and minuscule things.

So, I am old now. I am happy because I truly lived. I made my way out of the office, bed, and comfort space and experienced life. I also…

Traveled EVERYWHERE.

I went to Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Thailand. I saw the hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey and went in the hot springs in Tuscany, Italy. Anytime someone asked me to explore a new city with them, I agreed because money comes back.

Went to a concert (or a few)

I loved music my whole life, so I went to see my favorite artists. I love to sing at the top of my lungs even though I am not that good, but that did not matter.

Picked some tulips

There were rows and rows of red, orange, pink, and white. I wore a cute skirt dancing through the fields. I took too many pictures that I would soon complain about because I had no storage on my phone. The tulips were beautiful and rested for days on my counter.

Flipped my house…and a bus

I did not want a big house. The money was used for decorations instead. I was too worried that the rooms would lack personality. I had a tiny but cozy home. The bus life was not luxurious, but it was the experience of a lifetime. I travelled around my own country, creating my own map.

Designed my own coloring book

I loved art throughout my whole life and got addicted to coloring during my teenage years, so I just decided to design my own because it was fun.

Learned American Sign Language

I learned throughout life, picking up the language in different scenarios. I wish I was able to take it throughout high school or college but that is okay because you never stop learning in life. You can teach yourself anything when you are willing to try.

Did puppy yoga

Have you ever seen goat yoga? Now, picture that with puppies. It was perfect and heart-warming. I smiled the whole time and felt all my worries disappear.

Opened a shop

Whether it was a coffee shop or boutique, it was aesthetic. My shop was welcoming. Greenery was in each corner with pink furniture and the smell of espresso in the air. Or the boutique that had fairy garden clothing and beaming jewelry.

Bucket-lists just never work. Which is why you must make a “story from your 90-year-old self” instead.

Ayla Batz is a second-year member and Social Media Co-chair for St. Bonaventure's chapter of Her Campus. Ayla plans to write about college life, fashion, mental health, movies/tv shows, girlhood, and more.

Ayla is a sophomore majoring in Strategic Communication with a minor in Marketing. She has a small clay jewelry business, AMae's Clays, where she creates fun and intricate pieces. She loves to run the social media page for that as well. AMae's Clays is what led her on the path of studying communications. Her dream is to work in the fashion or beauty industry one day. You can also find her on campus with the SBU Dance Team for her third semester!

While not in class or at Her Campus, Ayla likes to hang out with friends and family, make crafts, play games, listen to music and explore nature. You can also find her wrapped up in a good show...currently she is obsessing over One Tree Hill and Big Brother!