This Amazing 1998 Time Capsule Will Turn You Into a Teenager Again

What were you doing in 1998? Randi Berman knows exactly what she was doing in 1998, because she just found an actual time capsule in her childhood closet, and opening it was like walking through a Narnia wardrobe right into an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Probably the most important game you’ll ever play

A post shared by time capsule(@capsule98) on Mar 1, 2017 at 3:26pm PST

  Berman spent an entire year making a time capsule for herself in 1998, then promptly shoved it in the back of her closet and forgot about it for 20 years. She was stunned when she found it again in 2017, after her mother told her to finally get in there and clean out the closet that was still crammed full of childhood stuff she’d left behind when she moved out.

Opening the time capsule was like falling through a magical portal into 1998, which for Berman was a year full of lanyard bracelets, magazine pages about which Spice Girl Melissa Joan Hart and Larissa Olenyk liked best, and a whole bunch of movie tickets from Titanic.

Berman has been cataloging the contents of her time capsule on a special Capsule98 Instagram account, and everyone is loving the nostalgia rush. She even had a package of the elastics she used on her braces. Boy, those take me back.

When I got my braces off, I ran my tongue over my teeth and then I cried.

A post shared by time capsule (@capsule98) on Jan 16, 2017 at 2:54pm PST

She even had a collection of movie tickets, some of which were labeled to indicate that she’d bought a ticket to an age-appropriate showing, then snuck into something she was too young to buy tickets for.

Dear Randi, This is a mix of songs that were big in 1998. “my heart will go on” was the theme song for Titanic and since that was the biggest movie of all time, that song was huge! Backstreet Boys are my favourite group right now and I’d say my favourite songs on the tape are “The boy is mine” and “Baby one more time.” “Show me love” – Robyn “Stop” – Spice Girls “As long as you love me” – Backstreet Boys “Never ever” – All Saints “My heart will go on” – Celine Dion “Intergalactic” – Beastie Boys “Ghetto superstar” – Pras, ODB and Mya “One week” – Barenaked Ladies “Iris” – Goo Goo Dolls “Truly Madly Deeply” – Savage Garden “Torn” – Natalie Imbruglia “Too close” – Next “The boy is mine” – Brandy & Monica “I don’t wanna miss a thing” – Aerosmith “Fly” – Sugar Ray “Tubthumping” – Chumbawamba “Ray of light” – Madonna “Gettin jiggy with it” – Will Smith “Feels so good” – Mase “All my life” – KC & JoJo “Crush” – Jennifer Paige “Doo wop (That thing) – Lauryn Hill “I will come to you” – Hanson “Baby one more time” – Britney Spears “If you could read my mind” – Stars on 54 “Pretty fly for a white guy” – The Offspring

A post shared by time capsule(@capsule98) on Jan 22, 2017 at 4:42pm PST

Of course, a 1998-theme mix tape is essential for any time capsule. Berman made this one with all her favorite music from the year, and she definitely needs to recreate it for Spotify, because I suddenly really need to listen to “As Long as You Love Me.”

Berman’s 13-year-old self was a super-upbeat and dedicated chronicler of history–this time capsule took her a whole year to put together! and Berman told Babble that if she went back in time, she wouldn’t even have any advice to give her on-the-ball adolescent self. If anything, she’d want a pep talk from herself at 13.

”Honestly, I think she had it together!” she says with a laugh. ”I’d be more curious to hear her advice for 31-year-old me.”

In 1998, I am going to have style. I’m going to be foxy, independent, sexy, cool, the queen. I am a star!

A post shared by time capsule (@capsule98) on Jan 2, 2017 at 6:43pm PST