I know we all love talking about firsts and lasts, but I realized lately that talking about firsts and nexts can be equally insightful, and tons more empowering. Just the word itself—NEXT—implies there’s lots more in store for you, and that there is an infinite number of good things coming your way. Here are some of my fave Firsts and Nexts. I would love to hear about yours! Post them here or e-mail me at mia@candymag.com if you like

My first kiss was…sweet. Literally. It came right after a slice of apple pie.
My next kiss will be…
Slobbery. I’m a hundred percent sure my dog will be kissing me good night before sleeping.

My first favorite book was…a hardbound volume of fairy tales. I read it over and over, and begged my helper every afternoon after school to help me trace the pretty illustrations using carbon paper.
My next favorite book will be…
possibly Sarah Dessen’s new one, Along For The Ride. I bought it (last copy at the store I went to!) recently even though I swore I wouldn’t buy any more books till I finished my unread pile (okay, piles). I really loved her The Truth About Forever and think she’s one of the best young adult lit writers now. There just aren’t enough who can compare to Judy Blume. In my opinion, young adult lit is easy to read but hard to write. This new one of hers looks promising, and so far I can relate to the lead character, an insomniac like me.

My first ice cream obsession was…
Magnolia’s mocha in those retro plastic cups with the paper peel on top. My mouth still waters at the thought of it.
My next ice cream obsession will be…
Possibly Haagen Dazs’s dark chocolate orange, although right now I’m still crazy about the Oreo sundae at Icebergs and Chocolate Spoon. I’ve been having it every week since September! Bad, bad Mia; good, good ice cream.

My first best friend was…
my next-door neighbor. She was a year ahead in school and she always seemed just a tad more sophisticated in my eyes. She always had her milestones before I did, like having her first boyfriend, or getting her period, and I loved that I could live vicariously through her.
My next best friend turned out to be…my next-village neighbor. And it’s funny how we’re having our milestones at the same time, like having our first jobs, or getting engaged in the same month, and getting married in the same year. I love sharing experiences with her.

My first boyfriend was…
a geek and a jock. We were two nerds in a pod (yes, we’d get excited about new branches of National Bookstore opening, and we checked out books from the library even in the summer), except I was just a nerd, while he was a nerd in a varsity jacket, driving a car to school in high school. He helped me with my Chem project big time, but he was also a great dancer who helped me practice for prom (I’m useless on the dance floor, so help me God). I loved that he made me feel, by example, that I could be anything I wanted to be, and that categories only limit us if we let them.
My next boyfriend turned out to be…
an equal overachiever, if not more so. I loved that he was driven, but that he never let his accolades go to his head. I loved that someone so ambitious was so… normal. He was just a regular guy when he was with me, no big ego or mad scientist baggage in tow. It’s these sneaky normal-brilliant hybrids you have to watch out for, the ones who steal your heart before you know it.