From snacks to swapping my problems with someone else’s, here are the top ten things that I can’t live without:
Music All Day Every Day
Music has been an important part of my life ever since I was a baby. From listening to Christmas carols with my family in the car, to singing Ariana Grande karaoke at parties, to performing in my first musical, I’ve never had a phase in life where music wasn’t present. My music taste has also changed and matured as I have in different stages of life; however, I’ve always loved boy bands. That probably won’t ever change.
Tales of the Undead
This one is corny and will probably make a lot of people cringe, but I couldn’t leave it out. I can’t remember how long I’ve been obsessed with vampires, but I think it might have started around the time Hotel Transylvania got released, which would have put me around age 6. Then, I read Twilight for the first time in eighth grade…and let’s just say it only got worse from there.
When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers I kind of wanted to be a vampire.
Angelina Jolie
YouTube Vlogs
Around 2019, when YouTubers such as Emma Chamberlain and Aaron Hull were at their peaks (at least in my opinion), I spent every single day watching hours worth of Californian teenagers going about their daily lives. Something about their vlogs and humor was just so appealing to 13-year-old me; I wanted to be just like them.
I still watch their vlogs sometimes, along with other creators that I’ve started to like in the past years. YouTube, to me, is not only a fun escape from my problems and an opportunity to snoop on others’, but also a reflection of where I am in life.
Emma Chamberlain has been one of the most loved YouTube influencers since 2018; she was my role model when I was a preteen.
Crunchy Costa Rican Delights
Plantain chips, sweet ones in particular, are the most heavenly thing I have ever had the blessing of tasting. My family is Costa Rican, and I often enjoy the country’s delicious snacks and dishes, but plantain chips are by far my favorite snack. We call them platanitos.
The Only Thing that Lets Me Leave My House
Apple has made my life easier in many ways, but if I had the chance to thank Steve Jobs for one singular thing his company has accomplished, it would be Apple Carplay. I don’t know how people survived before it. When I first started driving, I couldn’t even get to Target-five minutes away from my house-without plugging my phone in for directions.
Comfort Clothes
In particular, hoodies. Hoodies and sweatshirts take up half my closet. I never leave my house without one, even in the summer. I’m naturally cold-blooded, so hoodies have always been an essential for me. Shout out to MUSINSA for feeding my obsession.
Blocking Out the World
My mom tells me I’m going to need hearing aids by the time I’m 25, but every time I wear my Sony noise-canceling headphones, I’m always too immersed in whatever I’m listening to-to care. It’s like being in my own little world. I love it.
My beloved Sony-WH1000XM4 (XM4’s for short), which I can be seen wearing almost
all the time outside of school.
https://skybygramophone.com/products/wh-1000xm4-wireless-noise-canceling-headphones?variant=44678664913113¤cy=USD
60 Posts a Day
My Snapchat private story is, quite frankly, the only thing that keeps me sane. I talk way too much, and my private story is like a diary in which I write everything, but for all my friends, with fun filters. My record number of posts is 155 in one day. Yikes!
You always have something to say. Sometimes I sit down to click through it like I’m watching a show.
Emma Trapani
The Best Album Ever Created
If I could choose a soundtrack for my life, Monsta X’s 2021 album The Dreaming would undoubtedly be my first pick. Every song on the album makes me feel like a Hollywood star, living out my dreams. When you see me with my aforementioned headphones on, there’s about a 75% chance I’m listening to something off The Dreaming.
Star-Crossed Stories
When I read Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade, my life was changed forever. It sounds dramatic—but so were they. I will devour any Romeo and Juliet retelling I can get my hands on, always a sucker for star-crossed lovers.
The stars incline us, they do not bind us.
Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights
All these things are little pieces of me that might seem insignificant, but if you know me, then you know how important they really are. Simply from hearing me talk on and on about how much I love these 10, most of my friends could probably describe them. To anyone who has ever sent me a picture of a bag of plantain chips at the grocery store because they thought of me, thank you for proving my point.
