I have what some would say is a love affair with history.

While some choose to spend their time perusing through shops, predicting outcomes of sports events or working on their physique, I contemplate how our country, among others, became what it is today. Within the past 400 years, our nation has evolved from a land of nomadic hunters struggling to provide food to survive the harsh winters to a society obsessed with self-image and the power of the all-important dollar. Four hundred years may seem like a long time to some, but do not be fooled, our country has just attained adolescence.

As a small child, I recall overhearing my mother flirt with the idea of being capable of living in another era. She would rant about living off the land and not owning a single television, let alone knowing what it was. I, quite expectedly, could not envision my young life without Barbie dolls, Thundercats and Fraggle Rock, or the idea of being in a world where candy was not a staple of my daily caloric intake.

Now, years later, just as my mother had, I find myself longing for a different day and age when even the term "money" had no meaning or value, individuals did what was necessary to survive and everything else one chose to do was out of pure desire.

I ponder what would become of both mine and other's lives in an environment not based upon economics, material possessions or societal differences. Granted, every era had their struggles and hardships. There is no doubt that even before monetary values were established there were always people wanting or needing more. But money is now the staple of our society. We as citizens of the United States are categorized by our income.

We as college students are especially empathetic to the struggles of money. I enjoy my 450-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, cashmere sweaters and iPod just as much as the next person, but I have an understanding that these valuables are disposable. My possessions do not make me who I am and I am not a reflection of the materials I own. My mind is at ease because I can make this distinction, even if it may not be clear to those who observe the course of my life.

I have now become so infatuated with a life free of technology, stripped of all that I know. I have reverted back to my days as a small child, lost in a world that is unknown with no familiarity. But the mere idea of leading a life centered on passions and instincts is intoxicating.

As my mind shifted from era to era, relentlessly searching for a time that exemplifies a purpose-driven life, I reached a conclusion. It is not the time, but the person. We, as freethinking individuals, choose our destiny and how we wish to live throughout the time we are given.

Is leading this type of life even feasible? Could I turn a blind eye to the palm-sized gadgets and crisp, sparkling amenities that could complete my stainless steel kitchen?

The time we were given is within the confines of the 20th century, where the true challenge is to find an environment, a family and peers that promote the aim and vision that allows someone to not become sidetracked with the idiosyncrasies and aspects of life that could prevent an individual from accomplishing what could be the most virtuous, valuable and desirable possession of all -- happiness.

And even in my mere 22 years, I have come to realize that happiness will not lie in what I own or what I found within the confines of a bank.

What we all have been given is precious and not disposable. You must ultimately take what time we are given and use it wisely. And in the end, when the conclusion of your life is drawing near, you can reflect back upon your life with content and pride.