LIFE

Today is my 18th birthday, and as I usher in this new phase of my life called adulthood, a sense of nostalgia overwhelms me. I can't help but reminisce about memories from the past 18 years. In honor of my childhood years coming to a close, I decided to compile a list of moments that resonate with me, and that I have a happy association with. Hopefully, these spark joy in you lovely readers as well...

Role playing as different job occupations

Because when we were young, all we wanted was to be old, but now that we're old, all we want is to be young. I remember putting fake cash into my fake cash register like it was yesterday. I could be anything I wanted to be...good times.

Reading all of the Rainbow Magic series fairy books

@ashleys.reading.cafe

The elite book series from my childhood. Every year at the Scholastic book fair, I'd sprint to the section where these books were displayed and I'd grab as many as I could (classic book hog). Finding a fairy with my name or favorite hobby felt like the proudest moment of my life.

Collecting Silly Bandz

@sillybandzonline

Everyone walked around school with a sleeve full of these neon rubber bands. Sitting down at the lunch table, tearing them all off and flaunting which shapes you had was a *big* flex. If you were lucky, you traded your least favorite bracelet for your friend's cool castle-shaped one. 

Crowding around the ice cream truck/cooler to get first pick of your favorite dessert

@food_ilysm

Every Friday at my elementary school was ice cream day. My classmates and I would hurriedly walk to the refrigerator and anxiously await our turns to choose the best frozen treat. One time, my tongue got stuck to an especially frozen popsicle, resulting in me crying in the nurse's office as she ripped it off.

Scooting around the gym floor on these bad boys

@90skidzunite

I think this feeling was a universal experience for all 2000s kids. If you could scoot fast, you were the coolest kid of them all. Each gym class, we'd *beg* to take these out from the supply closet so we could scoot around for about 30 minutes.

Looking through a collection of Barbie and Disney DVDs and fighting with your sibling over which to watch

@experiment626xx

Toughest decision of our lives: Will it be Barbie as the Island Princess or Aladdin tonight? Too stressful...let's pick out of a hat.

Begging your parent to buy you more EOS lip balms because they were "the best"

@eosproducts

The EOS craze is one that often escapes my memory, but it was a *huge* trend. I still have at least 20 unused EOS lip balms in my miscellaneous items drawer in my nightstand. I recall all of the girls in my class displaying their EOS lip balms on the edge of their desks in rainbow color order, so naturally, I wanted to do the same.

Wandering the neighborhood on Halloween to find the most elite candies and trading at the end of the night

Reese's cups, Kit Kats, and any form of gummy candy were the most desired candies in my trick-or-treating squad. We'd pour out our entire bag of candy onto the table and sort them by brand and size. I'd usually end up with most of the chocolate, and my sister would end up with candies like Nerds and Dots.

Eating dino nuggets and pasta off of these plates

@zoopalscampaign

This is my definition of fine dining. These Zoopals plates made eating all of our food whimsical and fun.

Feeling like you're entering heaven when walking into Justice or Claire's

@justice

From the color palette, to the endless walls of sequins and glitter, to the pop music, to the actual merchandise, walking into a Justice or Claire's felt magical for a young girl. They supplied us with the best clothing, jewelry, accessories, school supplies, party essentials and gifts by far. When a girl at school would come in wearing a Justice sweatshirt or Claire's earrings, everyone knew it because they had begged their mom for those same items in the weekend prior.

Did any of these moments resonate with you? Did they remind you of a happy memory from your youth? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram @girlslifemag or using #girlslifemag!

All GIFs via Giphy. Slider: @2000sshopaholic/Instagram

by Isabella Albaig | 4/19/2021