Younger Justin Bieber is one of those childhood fixations that permanently altered my brain. When I was four, I had the biggest, most intense crush on him. I genuinely thought we were going to get married. I owned a toothbrush that sang his songs, which meant twice a day I was being serenaded by Justin Bieber singing “Baby” and “U Smile” while aggressively brushing my teeth. It was less about dental hygiene and more a private concert in my bathroom. Back then, he wasn’t merely famous, he was everywhere. Posters on the wall, magazine covers in the checkout line, YouTube videos on repeat. The hair, the purple hoodies, the voice! I probably spent more time watching his music videos than doing any homework. Liking him felt like my full-time job that I took very seriously. Looking back, it’s funny how much commitment and loyalty I had towards a pop star who had no idea I existed, yet somehow still showed up in my everyday life, greeting me in the morning and at night.

It was October 26, 2023 at 10:00 PM. I clicked play on Taylor Swift’s 1989 Taylor’s Version album. As I listened to Swift’s new tracks featured on the album, I realized I’m still stuck on the originals,the ones that played during landmark moments in my life. When I first fell in love with film, it was in the movie theater watching The Secret Life of Pets. As that movie opened, it was Swift’s Welcome to New York that played in the background. Bad Blood featuring Kendrick Lamar was the song playing the first time my brother drove me in his car. So yes, I’m still at the restaurant, because as my life gets more directed towards looking at the future, this album remains the thing that connects me to the magic of childhood. When 1989 TV was released, it felt like another sign to abandon the originals, my past, but part of me can’t let go of the impact this album had on my life, and part of me knows I never will.

There is one memory from my childhood that stands out more than the rest, and it’s the oak tree that grew in my grandparent’s side yard in California. Every summer up until I was twelve years old, my family would spend a week there–and for the entirety of those trips, you could find me and my siblings climbing the giant oak tree. The stump of the tree grew parallel with the ground, making it the perfect tree to walk along. My grandpa nailed four blocks of wood into the base of the tree to make it easier to climb. A line was worn into the trunk from years of walking back and forth, and an additional two lines dug into one of the branches where the wooden swing used to hang (before it broke and found its home in a storage closet). Four years ago, my grandparents moved away from California. Now, I think about the kids who must have discovered the tree by now and found the same enjoyment that my siblings and I did. I am still at the restaurant, which for me, is my grandparent’s oak tree.

My brain is stuck in July 2015, watching the first Descendants movie on repeat, sitting on the couch idolizing every character, picturing myself at Auradon Prep. I was young enough that watching Disney Channel felt like the biggest event of the day. The world of Descendants felt so much louder, brighter, and more exciting than real life. Auradon was not just a setting, it was this school where little me felt everyone belonged. Now so many years later, my life is filled with deadlines, responsibilities and pressure to think of what’s next. But sometimes my brain drifts right back to that couch in 2015, when the biggest decision I had to make was which character I wanted to be and how badly I wanted to jump through my TV screen. Thinking about that time helps fulfill that part of me that craves magic and imagination that created and defined my childhood. Everyone has something that pulls them back and leaves them stuck, for me it’s Descendants.

Thursday, January 28th, 2016. 8:04 AM. 6-year-old Viv’s first ever snow day. Staying home in PJ’s with my mom, drinking hot cocoa. The perfect day. Begging for the one movie that had a choke hold on me since I could utter the word ‘princess’: Beauty and the Beast . Dancing teapots and spectacular ballgowns—every 6-year-old’s dream. Nostalgia, hand-drawn animation, and a cozy-feeling inside: the ultimate Disney experience. But let’s be honest, the Disney silver screen standard has changed for the worse. In 2026, children’s movies are lacking a certain… je ne sais quoi. Sure, animation technology has improved since the 90s, but where is the heart? Where is the feeling? Where are the films that you’ll watch in 10 years and think, ‘Wow. That movie was my entire childhood.’ I miss the days where my biggest concern was viewing Aladdin or the fox version of Robin Hood for the 94th time. Bring back 6-year-old whimsy. Bring back meaningful childhoods. Bring back classic Disney!

The best feeling in the world is going to a concert you have always dreamed of going to. I always think back to the time I went to Morgan Wallen in 2023 with my dad which was one of the best days of my life. The day started with going to the pool and getting Starbucks. Then after doing my hair and makeup. When I got to Empower Field all I could see was white cowboy hats and brown boots. I grew up on country music when I was young but I especially loved Morgan Wallen. I would always listen to him in the car or when we were boating. When the songs “7 summers” or “more than my hometown” came on, I would sing my heart out. When the lights dimmed in the stadium and he walked out with “Broadway Girls,” the crowd started screaming. That was when it finally hit me that I was actually seeing Morgan Wallen in concert.