There are things that bring back old memories for everyone, whether it be a specific smell, noise, food, or sound. Every memory is linked with something which helps them stick longer, with some being more powerful than others. For me, I have many of these powerful memories, each simultaneously representing some of the most common things in my life and my most fond memories.

In the summer going into seventh grade, Miley Cyrus’s album Bangerz was very popular, always on the radio and such. Now, when I hear songs like “Do My Thing,” “Wrecking Ball,” and “We Can’t Stop,” I am reminded of all the hours spent swimming in my pool and jamming out to this album with my friend Grace.

Besides those summer music memories, my pool also reminds me of being in eighth grade with another friend, Meg, and cleaning the pool in snorkeling goggles while diving down to the bottom with a hose. It takes me back to the joy I felt when my mom said that she would then “pay us” by getting us Panera for lunch.

In the same vein as eighth grade and food, I remember all the days spent with my friends where we practically lived off of Kraft mac and cheese and puppy chow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even now, those two are some of my favorite foods, and whenever I think of them, it takes me back to those fun times and the countless memories we made.

Over my whole life, I have made so many connections and memories related to food, especially with certain friends. I fondly look back on the days where my friend Ella and I would walk home from school and order Jimmy John’s. We would scrounge up any kind of money we could find, sometimes even paying the deliveryman in all change.

I think about all the Moomers ice cream I ate on hot summer days in Traverse City with Ella. We would go on the wet skis to the Long Lake grocery, and each of us would grab a pint of our favorite ice cream. With ice cream in hand and smiles on our faces, we would go to one of the islands and set up our hammocks to sit and enjoy our ice cream while looking over the crystal, clear lake.  

Even more than foods and tastes, sounds also trigger memories, mainly good ones. The song “Rake It Up by Yo Gotti” and “Mike Will” reminds me of riding in the golf van my junior year before matches with girls from my team. Meg would take the AUX cord in the van, and our coach would cringe at all of our music choices. And despite all of my coach’s protests, when we would take a shot in the sand during a tournament, we all would think of that song, remembering that we had to “rake” the sand. During golf, there is a lot of time, making it all the more important to amuse yourself while playing.

Snow cones remind me of the summer going into my junior year where my friends and I went around delivering snow cones to people. Inside her car, there was a plug for the machine to make the shaved ice, and because of this, we were able to drive around with ice, cups, flavoring, and straws to make the perfect snow cone.

Root beer reminds me of the girls’ night with my friends at someone’s house. They had root beer on tap, and so we all drank so much of it with our popcorn that tasted like the ocean. Afterward, we all got a stomach ache, but even so, it was one of my favorite memories. We watched movies, played games, and hot-tubbed with our root beer.

I have had many more memories throughout high school, but these are some of the most memorable that make me instantly happy when I think of them. However, I will soon be going off to college where I will make new memories attached to food, music, smells and noises.