Like a breath of fresh air as the calm breeze carried the mist of water across my face, I soon came to realize life is much more beautiful than we may think it is. All it took was half a week, five days, one-hundred and twenty hours, and 432,000 seconds for me to realize what life truly is. You see we may not always realize it, but we tend to go through the motions of life. Where we’re so used to working every single day. Or even just getting caught up in our daily hustle, that we tend to not notice that not only are we burning ourselves out, but we’re also missing out on the little things in life. Sometimes we just have to press pause and enjoy life’s little moments. Other times we just have to stop and focus on our own self growth.
I strongly believe that there is so much beauty out there in life. You just have to find it’s right moments and cherish them. Then take that moment to reflect on what it is you can learn from it. I remember growing up as a kid I’ve always loved a good adventure. Whether it involved sitting in the front seats of the amusement parks biggest ride, or being the first to volunteer on the camps zipline, or even working up the courage to cliff dive off a 20 foot cliff. There is so much beauty out there in adventure you just have to find it. Now if I’m being completely honest I am 100% adventurous to my core. I can still picture my 10 year old self asking my parents after they’d get home from work “What are we going to do today?” Hoping that we would go out exploring around town again. Even to this day I feel as if I need to be doing something, or even having a good time to survive. I always feel the need to be out LIVING, and exploring what life really is. But not only is life about cherishing those little moments, or finding its adventures, it is also about finding who you really are, and embracing that.
Everybody goes through what I like to call “seasons of life”. Seasons which stand for different periods in life, where we each go through different trials and such. I hear the term “seasons of life” and think back to who I was as a person. I think about what I was into at the time? Or who I hung around? Or how I dressed? We all experience a point in life where we are challenged to look at who we all really are deep inside. For example, looking back a few years ago to high school I never would’ve thought I’d come as far as I did. It’s hard to imagine that I was that shy, insecure, introverted girl. The kind of girl who was afraid to stand up in class to present a simple project. I know that I’ve come a far way, and have gained much more confidence over the years. I had my own ways of stepping out of my shell. I remember how much I enjoyed being in theatre. I loved that I could step out of my own shoes and into somebody else's for a moment. Maybe it’s now that I realize maybe I really did outgrow that season of life. Only you know yourself and what’s really best for you.
Life is nothing but a big challenge, and you may think that you are in control, but sometimes you’re not. Sometimes you just have to let life string you along. Yes we all go through our own shit, but life's not worth pressing pause on that bad moment in life and dwelling on it. So go enjoy life. Let your seasons teach you. Go live your life and find yourself. Take from it and learn how to become a better person. Be the person who lights up a room, even if you aren’t feeling it. Be the person who looks out for your friends, because you don’t know what they may be going through. Appreciate those late nights with your friends, where you have full control of the aux, the volume turned on max and the windows rolled down. We all should be grateful for our youth, because after all we’re just now starting to realize what life is really about, and finding out who we really are as individuals.
So ask me how my trip to Michigan has been going, and I’ll tell you about the time I hiked to the falls, and immediately sat on the edge of that cliff not only for a picture, but also to take in the never before seen illustrious view. The view which drew me into wanting the beauty of life even more. Or even reminiscing over each snap of the camera, taking in every second captured. After all it was the beauty in living, and the statuesque scenery which opened my eyes to what life was all about. So if your wondering whether or not you should travel to that destination in mind, and just let loose for once, then the answer is simply just a yes. Enjoy those rare moments in life, appreciate those long conversations with strangers in coffee shops, be the person who dances in the pouring rain, and take in every second as you stand on that edge overlooking that breathtaking view. Because life is too short, and before you know it, your youthful days will be long gone. So take in every second and enjoy it, after all you only live once.