July 11, 1988     Julia is born at Circle City Hospital in Corona, CA and handed immediately to her adoptive mother. 

Aug 15, 1988      US Republican party nominates George Bush for President (InfoPlease). This political event will result in his election, and eventually that of his son, thereby directly influencing the majority of the politics of the country is which Julia will live and grow. 

Sept. 1988     Julia's adoption is legally finalized in a Los Angeles courtroom. She is transported from a potential life in Salt Lake City, Utah to one in Beverly Hills, California. Her path in life in irreparably altered as her birth mother never finished college, has a young son already, works as a car mechanic, and is an unmarried, Mormon Libertarian. Her new parents have been married a long time, posses Ivy League degrees, and are financially stable, unreligious Democrats.

Nov. 8, 1988     Bush is elected President (InfoPlease). As previously mentioned, this will determine the governmental progression of Julia's world. Although she is too young to be as displeased as her parents are, she will one day understand the gravity of such events. 

Sept. 1992     Julia attends her first school, Playmountain Place in Culver City, CA at the urging of her eccentric uncle. This unconventional preschool is run by neo-hippies, and promotes the development of skills like peaceful conflict resolution and rejection of superficial commercialism. She spends her youngest years frolicking semi-nude in mud puddles, climbing trees, and painting toast with food coloring. She does not learn colors, letters, or basic academic skills, and as a result enters her elementary school feeling alienated and discombobulated, although more artistically inclined.

Feb. 1, 1992     The official end of the Cold War (InfoPlease). Julia will not be subject to the biases that the generation before her developed. She will grow to understand Eastern Europe as an area of the world that is as accessible and acceptable as any other. 

Sept. 1995     Julia attends Warner Avenue Elementary School in Westwood, California. Much of her early development evolves here, as she learns to draw, sing, read, play games, and interact with normal children. Although a socially awkward phase in her life, she remains best friends with her neighbor and fellow Warner-attendee, Jake. She determines she is naturally inclined to endeavors in visual art and literature, as well as traditionally masculine activities like hiking, building forts, Legos, G.I. Joe and lizard-catching. 

Oct. 3, 1995     O.J. Simpson is found not guilty is a Los Angeles court (InfoPlease). It causes a public and media sensation, while teaching Julia that murder and injustice are real aspects of life in close proximity. Her parents take this opportunity to explain facets of society like the legal system, fame, and domestic violence. Her view of the world is forever changed, and she considers becoming a police officer (which she still considers today).

Sept. 1999     Julia attends Middle and High School at the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, CA. This marks the beginning of a seven year coming-of-age experience. Archer is a private, very expensive, all-girls school with mandatory uniforms that champions only the academic. It is here that she hones her artistic and linguistic passions by sequestering herself in the art department at every opportunity. However, she is massively lonely and unhappy, as she is surrounded by excessive wealth and superficiality, severely limited social interaction and diversity, and an overt oppression of all things creative and free. She learns everything she doesn't want in life.

April 20, 1999     Two students go on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School is Littleton, CO (InfoPlease). This massacre greatly upsets the entire schooling community across the country, and teaches Julia that school is not necessarily a safe haven. She comes to realize in the following years that even places filled with children are not necessarily any happier than the rest of the world. 

June 2003     Julia goes to summer camp at the Catalina Island Marine Institute for the first time. This camp, located in secluded beach cove on an island of the coast of California, instantly becomes her favorite place on earth, and the most influential experience in shaping the person she is today. She meets her first boyfriend, her best friend, and the majority of her current close friends at CIMI. She develops all of her formerly-stunted social skills, and is forevermore intent on becoming a counselor when she is eligible. 

Oct. 7, 2003     Actor Arnold Schwarzennegger is elected governor of California (InfoPlease). Julia finds it highly ironic that she attends school with his daughters, and yet they are much more concerned with Louis Vuitton purses than government. She decides that being aware of her society is a proactive choice and makes it a point to participate in the politics of her state and country. 

June 2005     Julia meets Dave at CIMI, and experiences her first painful, long-term infatuation. For the next two years, she experiences intermittent teenage heart break. She learns many things to avoid in romantic relationships, and eventually comes to realize that some beautiful men turn out to be quite ugly on the inside. This phase is instrumental in her evolution from love-sick adolescent to a more mature adult.

Jan. 20, 2005     George Bush is sworn into his second term as US President (InfoPlease). Although she was ineligible to vote, her discontent with the overseas war, economic downturn, and social restrictions of the Bush administration intensifies. As a legal minor, she is extremely frustrated by her lack of political rights and power. 

Feb. 2006     Julia leaves High School half-way through her senior year. She finally revolts against her extended social and educational limitations. Her parents panic and promptly have her diagnosed with depression. She refuses to take medication, causes extreme upheaval within her family, and, convinced of her own healthy state of mind, drops out of school to work at a pet store for a few months. She finds she in much happier away from the confines of her former world. 

March 9, 2006     President Bush signs law to renew the Patriot Act (InfoPlease). Julia learns that nothing is set in stone in terms of government, as rights can be violated and denied to citizens by those in power. She is reminded her duty to vote in the upcoming election and influence her world. 

Sept. 2006     Julia enrolls at Santa Monica College and moves away from home for the first time. Here she is happy to participate in her education, as she is allowed to pursue the endeavors of her choice. She takes art and general education academic courses, and is content to gradually figure out what she want to with her life. She lives with her roommates and cat as she discovers how to navigate the world as an individual adult. 

July 19, 2006     President Bush vetos legislation to expand stem cell research (InfoPlease). Julia realizes that science and societal progression have a long way to go, and that the Republican party will impede this process. She is absolutely convinced of the necessity of political activism in her generation. 

Nov. 2006     Julia travels to Salt Lake City, Utah in search of her biological family. Having finally reached the age of 18, she is now legally able to pursue contact with them. She locates her mother and older half-brother, but is unable to contact them. When she returns to Los Angeles, she receives a phone call from her mother that was set in motion by her trip. This first contact helps to answer all her curious questions, and informs her of the nearby location of a younger brother who was also adopted by a family in Los Angeles.

Nov. 4, 2006     Democrats gain control of both houses of Congress (InfoPlease). For the first time in a long time, Julia feels hopeful about the political future of her life and country. This further adds to the activism generating among her peers. 

June 2007     Julia works as a summer camp counselor for Bruin Kids at the University of California Los Angeles. She discovers a passion for working with children, and further fuels her desire to work at CIMI in the future. 

April 2, 2007     The US Supreme Court rules that the EPA has the authority and responsibility to regulate automobile emissions (InfoPlease). This not only agrees with her political agenda, but furthers her decision to purchase a Toyota Prius hybrid and participate in environmentally-friendly consumer behavior.

June 2008     Julia meets her current boyfriend and they begin dating. He is important in shaping her ability to recognize and appreciate a healthy and loving relationship. He greatly contributes to her overall happiness and desire to achieve great things in life. 

Nov. 4, 2008     Barack Obama is elected the 44th, and first African American, President of the United States (InfoPlease). This is the first step in what will become a chain of historical milestones in the evolution of Julia's society and lifetime. She definitely voted for him and her faith in the people's political power is renewed. 

Jan. 2009     Julia attends Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, CA. She already knows that this is the beginning of an education that will finally allow her to pursue a career that makes her happy. She only hopes that she can succeed here, and end up impressing both her parents and herself. 

2009     Continued US economic crisis. This situation convinces Julia that her education, eventual career, and choices as a voting citizen and consumer must positively influence the world around her. She is currently most concerned with the environment, marriage equality, and completing assignments for Otis!

Works Cited

"This Day in History." InfoPlease, Pearson Education. 26 May. 2009 <http://www.infoplease.com/>

"What Happened on Your Birthday? Historical Information About Each Day of the Year." 

     Logan Library. Logan, Utah. 26 May. 2009 <http://library.loganutah.org/kids/birthday.cfm>

(20 years) / (80 years) x 100 = 25% of Julia's life has been lived