Back to Normal

Today was one of the most refreshing days I’ve had since being in college. Despite the fact that Thanksgiving is in a few days and I will be going home to see my family, my younger brother came up to visit this afternoon. My brother and I have always been close. Ever since we were children we’ve played in the backyard, eaten ice cream together, and shared some of our most memorable moments. However, once I moved off to college, we began to speak with each other less and less. We still shared a strong bond, but we were not as close. After spending weeks apart and hardly having time to have a full conversation through text messaging, he decided to come up and spend a few days with me. As soon as I found out I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to introduce him to all of my new friends and take him out to my favorite restaurants. I was also extremely excited to hear about his life, including baseball adventures and about his friends at school. While my brother and I have been speaking less and less, the second he got out of the car we were back to where we were before I left. Now it is almost as if we are even closer than before. As we grow older, we have more in common, and cannot wait to share the smallest details of every story with each other. We spent the entire afternoon and evening discussing what’s going on in our lives. Even though I am going home this week to spend a few days with my entire family, it was rewarding to catch up with my brother beforehand.

My Own World

At times I find myself drifting into my own world. When I pull a book out of my tall, yellow bookshelf I always wander to the same welcoming yet quiet room in my house. Our living room is home to one our most comfortable, but also one of our oldest chairs, and looks out at our backyard filled with green grass, trees, and beautiful flowers. This worn-in chair provides comfort and warmth on rainy days, and is a familiar embrace when I need an escape. The cream colored sides of the chair seem to wrap around me and protect me. Though more than just the chair, books provide me with my own special place. I can dream of a different life when I read books. The stories can be magical or mysterious, romantic or horrific. No matter what the content, I can always escape into a different world. I can use my imagination and put myself in someone else’s shoes or a character’s position. While reading I picture myself wandering through an unfamiliar forest or an exotic jungle, or walking up the steps in a castle, making my way to meet prince charming. I see myself sprinting down a soccer field as I compete in a championship game while the crowd around me cheers. A good book can pull me away from reality for hours. Sometimes I completely forget about time. Depending on the setting and the storyline, I drift off into different lives. Most books completely captivate me. Even if I find that I don’t enjoy the story that I’m reading, I hate setting books down. I like to give every story a chance, and most often I end up finishing every book I read, even if it’s dull. Books allow me to use my imagination and dream while I’m awake. They provide me with an escape out of reality, and my own world.

Nature

There is something peaceful about being outdoors. This past summer, my family and I went to a very small town outside of Truckee called Sierra City. My dad and brother go to Sierra City every year because they love the outdoors. This year they wanted to treat me to their tradition before I went off to college. Sierra City consisted of three hotels, two restaurants, and one market. When we first drove through Sierra City on the winding, dirt path, I felt isolated. We were staying here for four days. Four days was too long of a time to go without cell phone service, Internet, and people, seeing as Sierra City has a population of approximately forty people. From first sight, I thought I’d rather be in Tahoe. However as the days rolled by, I found peace in this small, quaint town. The minute I stepped outside the hotel room, I was overlooking the flowing creek below, surrounded by trees and plants. It felt like a movie or a dream, and as if it wasn’t real. I never would’ve guessed such beauty existed here. The Buttes and mountains towered over everything. It was so quiet that a squirrel could be heard fifty feet away. At nighttime we could hear the creek trickling. After a few days in Sierra City, my brother and I had been staring at a small waterfall carved into a cliff, and we decided we wanted to see it up-close. So we hiked down to the creek, across the water, and finally we made it to the waterfall. Once we were there we were completely mesmerized by its beauty. The scene was straight out of one’s imagination. My brother and I climbed halfway up the waterfall and stuck our heads into the downpour just to see what it would be like. It was a moment I will never forget. My trip to Sierra City put me at ease, despite my first impression of the town. I would love to return with my family next summer again.

Raindrops

As the rain begins to shower down and I pull out my warm clothes and coats, I cannot help but crave winter. Last week we got a taste of the rainy season, as it poured for one day. On that day I cuddled up with a blanket in my dorm room, sipped hot chocolate, and ate soup. Although it was cold, it was also a refreshing day that allowed me to stay inside and keep warm. All day long I looked outside to see the raindrops slapping the pavement and the lawn flooding. I was fortunate not to have any classes, so I was able to stay cozy with my book and read. The first rainy day of the season did not just leave us wet, but drenched. It didn’t simply sprinkle outside, but poured. The wind pushed the trees over, and everything was left a mess. However, the torrential downpour also led me to a feeling of satisfaction.

The weather made me think of the Holiday Season. I imagined sitting at home with my family and closest friends as we watched Christmas movies and baked holiday cookies. There were gingerbread houses on the counter and paper snowflakes I made as a child hanging on the windows. Thinking of Christmas carols, decorations, and lights filled me with warmth and joy. I could smell the cinnamon and spices, and could taste the eggnog. Just picturing the smiles on everyone’s faces and seeing trees lit up made me cheerful. So as I sat on my bed in my dorm room last week, despite the chilly, wet weather outside, I was filled with warmth and anticipation for the winter season.

What Does it Mean to be Happy?

Everyone has a different interpretation of happiness. Most of us know what fills us with joy, however at times we end up living our lives day by day like a to-do list, and we forget what makes us tick. We simply do what we have to instead of doing what we want to. Oftentimes we live our lives as check-off lists, instead of living each day to the fullest. For example, when we embark on our quests after college, do we truly know what we want, or are we influenced too heavily by what our parents or others want for us? For some of us the monetary gain that comes with some jobs affects what we want. Instead of choosing to do something that we love, we sometimes find ourselves picking the occupation that will earn us more money. At times we take into account what our parents want, more than what we want. If our parents want us to be doctors, for example, some of us decide to follow that course instead of charting our own paths. However in the end, will we really be happy? In order to be happy, we need to decide for ourselves what we truly want out of life.

True happiness is a balance of knowing yourself and sharing moments with important people around you. It is a combination of internal bliss and finding happiness through different activities, places, and even people. We can find happiness when we are with those who we love and who love us, or in places where we love to be. When I’m stressed out and my mind is running in circles, I love the peace and quiet. Nature calms me and puts me at ease. The sound of cold water trickling through a creek, or the crunch of pine needles under my feet satisfies me. The crashing of waves against the warm sand on a beach, or simply the sound of silence refreshes my mind and makes me feel content. One of my favorite things to do during summer or winter is watching fireworks in the night sky. However, it’s only enjoyable when I am gazing up into the night with the people who I love. Whatever makes us happy in life is what we should focus on. Not everything in life is easy or enjoyable, but we need to learn to take advantage of the moments when we are happiest. We shouldn’t choose the job that will earn us the most money, but rather the job that satisfies us and makes us happy at the end of each day. Whether we find joy from within ourselves, or from something external such as people or places, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of our bliss.

Who am I as a Writer? As a Thinker?

Through writing I’m able to express myself by displaying my opinions and beliefs, or by creating an elaborate story or poem. Writing is an outlet to shed stress and fear, or joy and happiness. I can use writing to convey my emotions, no matter what they may be. When I feel enraged about a problem in society, writing can cure my anger and provide a solution. It serves as a form of expression, allowing me to make a difference or help solve a problem at hand. I can write for a cause or to change something in our world, such as improving education. Writing is always accommodating to my mindset and feelings. It allows me to express myself and think, both logically or simply for my own amusement. As a writer, I have the ability to reflect on past experiences that have shaped me, or ponder the future. Writing and thinking have no limits or restraints.

As a thinker, my mind is always full and overflowing with questions. I often second guess myself, and find myself asking the same questions over and over again in my mind to ensure that I don’t make a mistake or regret a decision. At times I find myself wondering how things work, or what causes people to act differently and in certain ways. I enjoy observing and thinking about my surroundings. Through thoughts I can put myself in a different world. However, my process of thinking and the thoughts that stand out most are influenced by my environment. From a young age our surroundings, such as our family and even economic situations, influence our lives. Our knowledge and thoughts depend on the outlook of our parents, siblings, and others around us. The decisions we make are based on what’s available to us, and unlike writing and thinking, our decisions and options do initially have limits. We form thoughts based on what we know or know of. The things that aren’t readily available to us or are unfamiliar to us oftentimes don’t play a large role in our lives. As we grow up, our options expand while our experiences broaden. We meet new people and visit new places. From here, we create ourselves as thinkers and writers. However, the wonderful thing about writing and thinking is that we don’t have to know everything in order to have thoughts or ask questions. We are always learning and growing, and in order to write or think we don’t already have to know all the answers to our questions. I consider myself to be a confident writer and thinker, but ultimately less of a confident decision maker. I can write or think about whatever I want to, whenever I want to. It doesn’t always have to be for a purpose, but simply for my enjoyment. When I want to make a difference in the world, I know that I can through my writing.