The Radical Eighties

The 1980s are what most parents want to relive, and I'm right there with them. The 1980s was basically one huge party, for 10 whole years! The fashion was "tubular," the hairstyles were "bad" (in the good way), and the music was "radical!" This was the age where MTv came out, the Rubik's cube became a national headache overnight, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

That's just the start! I already talked about the music, but you really have to get into it. Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, making everybody dance till the sun came up; Van Halen was rockin' the concerts every night, making everybody "Jump;"  and Guns 'N' Roses came out, practically inventing rock ballads, making girls want to be with them, and guys want to be like them. 

The fashion, oh jeez the fashion! Everyone was wearing more zippers than necessary, bright colors that could blind you from miles away, and hair that could block the sun. But hey, that was cool, and still is. I would love to visit if just for the fasion. Who wouldn't want to wear something as ridiculous as this while dancing around the street, and NOT be mocked?

The Nifty Nineties

The 1990s. Some say only "90's kids" remember it. Wouldn't it be great if you could too? Personally, I would love to relive some of the things that I grew up with, through new eyes, to see all the things I used to love.

The Nineties gave us all things we love today. This was the birth of polygonal (instead of 2-dimensional, sidescrolling) games in the Nintendo 64. There are so many games that come to the mind of any child who had lived at least 3 years in the 90's, such as Ocarina of Time, Crash Bandicoot, Glove-World, Mario 64, and so many others. Seeing them today brings a sense of nostalgia, along with a flood of memories to when the times were much simpler.

Besides video games was the music. Oh man the music! This was the birth of grunge, ska, and punk! Unfortunately, many artists from the 1990's died before their time, leaving all of those who were too young to see them in concert saddened. I for one would have loved to see Nirvana (with Kurt Cobain) and Sublime (with Bradley Nowell) live in concert! It would be amazing, especially since they weren't too popular at the time, making the concerts smaller and better by comparison.

Also, this was cartoons' PRIME. Now, all the cartoons are terrible, with so many innuendos (that children nowadays DO get) and with terrible story lines, made worse by their cheesy puns. Back then, there were shows like Hey Arnold!, Chalk Zone, Rugrats, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and so many more. I would love to visit the 90's to be able to see all of these shows as if it was my first time seeing them.

The Feel-Good Decade

The 1970s. Woodstock, the rise of new cultures, and the start of rock and roll as we know it today. All of these things were started in the 1970s. Who wouldn't want to visit that time period? You can go to Woodstock, and see Jimi Hendrix in his prime; you could catch a Led Zeppelin concert before they get too big  and eventually break up; you could make some great new friends in the hippies that are starting to emerge, and even join a drum circle.

The Vietnam War is just coming to a close, and everyone is as happy as can be. I, for one, would love to just sit down and talk to a war veteran as it is fresh in their minds, and talk to his family and friends and hear what they have to say about it. While it was great that the veterans were coming home, unfortunately, they were not welcomed with open arms. Many called them "Baby-Killers" and blamed them for all their troubles. Another great reason to go back to the 1970's would be to assure them that they were doing something good, and that they may have saved thousands of people.

Also, I'm sure most people would be too embarrassed to wear this nowadays, but come on everybody! Who wouldn't want to dress up in those psychedelic tye-dye tees and the vests with all those groovy buttons and bandanas? It may not seem like much, but even wearing that would make your visit more authentic, and more fun!

The Nifty Fifties

Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Bill Haley. Who wouldn't want to go visit the 1950's? The fifties would be my second choice to visit because of how life changing it was. It was THE rock and roll decade. It is probably the very first decade to completely change how music was and also gave teenagers their very own chance to rule over themselves.

In the 1950's the "teenager" was finally born. There was a huge gap between them and their parents making them unique in their own ways. To help them break away from adulthood, they had their own types of style, music, and personalities. Teenagers had finally been able to hang out and have fun with friends and not have to worry about becoming an adult. Drive in movies, diners, bowling alleys, and so many more places to hang out. I would love to be able to hang out in them during the 50's. Sure there are some now, but come on, it would be so much better to be there in the 1950's. On top of that, the clothing changed especially for teens in that time. The types of clothing they wore were extremely gorgeous! It was just an overall amazing decade that almost everyone would enjoy to the max!

The GI Generation

The 1940's would probably be one of the places I would visit to experience the ways women handled themselves and their families while the men in their family were at war. I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to prove men wrong and do THEIR jobs as "weak" and "emotional" women? With tons of jobs available, a woman had high chances of being able to get a job and finally be free from the kitchen. The men at war also gave the women their very own chance to be on TV playing in the All American Girls Baseball team!! Although I'm not a big fan of baseball, being able to see a typical house-wife play baseball better than a pro-baseball player would bring me great joy.

Although the war was devastating for almost everyone, it brought America back to the top,economically speaking. More and more inventions were being created to help better society, like the almighty refrigerator! TV's were also affordable in the 40's where families could sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the classic television shows like Texaco Star Theatre. In the 1940's one would also be able to be a part of the beginning of the great Walter Elias Disney's career. His career began with Fantasia, an amazing movie starring Mickey Mouse. Tons and Tons of other people also began living their dreams in the 1940's

The most important reason for my visit to the 1940's would be the FASHION!! Very different from past years, the 40's consisted of simple yet fun clothing for both men and women. Women wore dresses and men wore suits. I'm pretty sure any girl would LOVE a man in a nicely tailored suit. Different patterns were also "in" at the time and were mostly made from scratch! Many women made their very own unique dresses, which I think is WAY cooler than going to the store and buying something a lot of other people have bought before. Right? The 1940's was just an amazing decade to become original and have more experiences than ever before.

The Roaring 20's

"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” 
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The Roaring 20's. Full of parties, alcohol, and lots of glamour. F. Scott Fitzgerald perfectly sums up what the 20's was all about. The 20's would be my first choice to go back in time to. Going away from past cultures into new more exciting ones, the 20's was the place to be. After all  breaking away from tradition is always adventurous and boisterous.

The years of the 1920's were the golden years of America. Almost everyone was wealthy and worry free. The 20's was best known for its Jazz Age where both girls and boys discovered new ways to express themselves. Women were beginning to gain their own voices and broke away from society's "rules". These women were known as Flappers. The 1920's Flappers wore "short" dresses, had skin showing, boyish bodies, and SHORT HAIR! It doesn't seem like such a big deal now,but short hair on a girl was possibly the most shocking thing to society. I'd love to be able to go against the beliefs of society and express myself the way no one has.

On top of breaking away from tradition, the 20's was the era in which alcohol was banned due to prohibition. The cool thing about that is being able to go to a Speakeasy! You could drink illegally without being caught in these awesome hidden bars. They were almost EVERYWHERE in New York City. Some are still there and are used today! The Speakeasies were hidden very creatively and were bound to be safe from any kind of trouble with the law. The 1920's was simply incredible and the perfect decade to have fun drinking and partying 24/7.