In a sea of due dates, papers, projects, tests, and meetings, life in college seems to become a never ending to-do list. Sometimes I am swimming through it all, and other times I am drowning, but the sea is always there in some way or another. As I looked back at my planner over the last year, I found an infinite amount of to-do lists, nearly all of them listing some mash-up of school responsibilities, work responsibilities, and appointments. As I began to look further back, I found something that was both uniquely and refreshingly out of place. I found a bucket list that I had made over the summer.

As I began to read the fifty-six items on the bucket list, I began to realize that this was also some sort of to-do list. It was a life to-do list. Eat lobster in Maine. Check. Go deep-sea fishing. Check. Go to La Gourmandine, and get a French pastry on a random day. Check. Do a yoga pose on top of a mountain. Check. Sadly, I realized that only four out of the fifty-six things on my bucket list had been given a check mark. I remember making this bucket list because I wanted it to be a reminder. I wanted it to be a reminder to live, not just exist. For me, existing is sleep-walking through life. It is following the to-do lists filled with deadlines and appointments to the point where it consumes every waking moment of my existence. Deadlines and appointments are important, and so is work. However, these things should not be the only things that make up our everyday lives.

It is important to remember to live fully, be happy, and be excited about life. It is vital to remember to take the time to try new things, learn new things, and do what inspires you. It is crucial to take the time to do those things because it means the difference between living and just merely existing.

After re-discovering this bucket list, I am going to make every effort to make it a priority. The old weekly to-do lists in my planner typically just listed off the upcoming week’s responsibilities. My new to-do list will do the same, but at the top of each list, I will write four simple words. These words will be a reminder for me to take a look back at my bucket list and make an effort to do something on it, like trying Thai food, going backpacking for a weekend, and going on that cross-country road trip with my closest friends. The words will be a reminder for me to go exploring, learn something new, and step out of my comfort zone. They will be a reminder for me to do something exciting, do what makes me happy, and do what makes me feel inspired. These four simple words will remind me to live, not just exist. At the top of my weekly to-do lists, I will simply write, “Don’t forget to live.”