The Dream List

The Meeting

A dream list. A bucket list to most people. A dream list to me.

Everyone has one whether its written down or it placed in the back of their brain. Everyone has certain things they want to do before they die. 

I have a list of ten things I want to do before I start over. You see, if I had this list of things to do before I die then I would just put them off until I wanted to actually deal with them. Having the list of things I want to do before I start the new chapter in my life is easier because I want to start over now. I need to start over.

High school life is gone. 

Those people from the past four years that made their way into my life don't matter anymore. All the stupid things I did during high school are all in the past. I'm starting fresh.

That's why I moved here to New York City. No one here knows me. No one here cares what I did in my past. It's time to move on and that's exactly why I wrote my dream list. 

Those ten things written in my sloppy handwriting on that piece of paper are my new beginning. 

My foot tapped against the ground beneath me and I stared blankly at the list in my lap. My bag sat comfortably next to me on the wooden bench in the middle of central park.

1. Sleep under the stars.

That was my first goal. My mind went in all different directions as people passed by me with their dogs and kids ran to catch up with their parents. Central Park was always a busy place and thats exactly why I came here today to get started. 

I took my gaze away from the paper in front of me and roamed my eyes over all the people; some laying on the grass while others talked eagerly on their cell phones. 

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trapping it there before the wind could take control of it. 

"Nice day, isn't it?" A soft voice spoke up.

I turned away from looking at all the different people in front of me and saw an older lady take a seat next to me on the bench. Her grey hair was cut short and her small face held many wrinkles. She was wearing a blue coat and a flower pattern lining the sleeves. 

"Yeah," I smiled at her politely, "It's really nice out."

She didn't say anything for a minute. She just sat there with a smile on her face and her hands folded in her lap. I slowly turned my attention back to my list.

"I just love to come out her sometimes and people watch." The old woman next to me laughed.

My eyes glanced to the side to smile at her again and I gave her a small nod. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I love talking to people and this lady was really nice but right now I just wanted to focus on this list. I don't know why, but all I just felt like I needed to stare at it until I actually felt the urge to start it. Sleeping under the stars wouldn't be too hard, i just needed to push myself to actually do it.

"Oh you should see these trees in the fall. They're gorgeous with all the leaves changing colors and falling one by one onto the ground." I could hear the smile in her voice. "It really it quite a sight."

"I bet." My reply was short.

I could hear her shift next to my slightly. "I take it that you aren't from here."

I let out a quiet sigh before shaking my head and covering my hands over the list. "How did you know?"

"A girl your age carrying around a bag filled with journals and some clothes kind of gives you away. I've got seven grandchildren, all here from the city.  Three are about your age and none of them carry spare clothes with them, sweetie." Her words caught me off guard. I looked down at my bag that was sitting in between us and sure enough, me few journals and extra clothes I had peeked out of my open bag.