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When starting out this blog my plan was to dive deeply into my personal philosophy and ideal system. What I am finding is that with current events this blog has shifted more into a journal. I am including ways I am bettering myself and how I am working on my mental health. In some ways this is developing my personal idea on life and I am finding that writing these post is helping me organize my thoughts in a world that is very hectic.

So I decided to do a part two of my planning for my hike once the semester is over. This process has really helped me to take my mind off of the current situation and is giving me motivation to keep working.

So back to it. Now that I have my bag weight and water filtration system all set I have begun focusing on food. For some this is the most enjoyable part of planning and I am personally having fun meal prepping and coming up with calorie rich and varied breakfasts, lunches and dinners. When hiking there are several things that need to be considered, food needs to be long lasting, durable, able to be stored in outdoor temperature, filled with calories and nutrients and easy to make with limited cooking ware.

Here is my planned meals for each day

DAY 1

Breakfast: Two Oatmeal packets, Dried Mango, Tea. Snack: Granola Bar Lunch: Peanut butter wrap with Bananas, Peanuts, Apple sauce Dinner: Rice, Spam, rehydrated vegetables, Rice crispie

DAY 2

Breakfast:Two Oatmeal packets, Apple, Coffee. Snack: Protein Bar Lunch: Ramen noodles, Apple sauce, Granola Dinner: Chikerina soup, Peanut butter and apple, Snickers Bar

Day 3

Breakfast: Two Oatmeal packets, Dried Mango, Coffee. Snack: Granola Bar Lunch: Rice, Dried chicken. Dinner: Ramen, Beef jerky, Avocado, Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

My breakfasts are meant to be very simple and quick to make requiring only hot water for cooking. This is important to me because I like to get right on the trail in the morning and lingering too long means I will most likely get cold. My snack every day is a bar of some sort, they are easy to eat on the move and often the best form of calories to get you through to lunch. Lunch as well as breakfast should be easy to cook so I choose rice and ramen barebones without any extra proteins because they are quick to make. I don’t mind making dinners that take long, they tend to be my biggest meal and its very important that I have protein in them so I can recover from a long day on the trail

The great thing about all of these meals is that the ingredients are small and able to be put in a compact bag. I don’t have to worry about stuff spoiling and I am getting a huge amount of calories for minimal volume. I have another few weeks to tweak the meals if I want but so far this seems like the most efficient diet. Planning this has definitely been a good way of relieving stress and keeping myself looking towards the future.

Something new that has helped to keep me moving through these final weeks of the semester is planning for a three day hike on the Appalachian trail. Hopefully a week or two after the semester is over I will set out to hike about 45 miles of the Massachusetts section of the trail, seeing mountains, forests, rivers and lakes. This activity is giving me the drive I need to continue working through this time.

But before I can hop onto the trail there are several things that need to be planned out for the trip. I have been taking stock of all the gear I have and am considering ways I can make my trip more efficient and enjoyable depending on what I bring.

The first thing that must be considered when planning a back packing trip is your base weight. This means how much all of your equipment and bag weigh, excluding food and water. The average goal for most hikers is to carry only 20% of your body weight. This means I want a base weight that is around 30 pounds at most.

My list of Gear

• Back Pack
• Tent
• Sleeping Bag
• Tarp
• Pot and Mug
• Utensils
• Water filter/ Bottle
• Lighter
• Clothes
• Head Lamp
• Map and Compass
• Power bank
• Phone and charger
• Book

All together my base weight has come out to be 28.6 pounds. This is pretty decent but I am currently looking for more ways to lessen the load. Because the less weight I carry the easier the hiking is and the more miles I can get under my belt. One of the best ways I have found to reduce weight is getting a lighter tent. Often poles and multi layer tent fabric carry a lot more weight meaning they take up more space in you bag and make it a lot heavier. I have opted for a lighter freestanding tent that should be able to take a pound and a half off of my base weight.

Another thing that needs to be considered when planning a hiking trip is water filtration. Especially during this pandemic health and safety are on the top priority of my list. My past way of purifying water was with iodine tablets and boiling water. But with this new pandemic I have taken a look at my old method and see that their could be issues. I recently purchased a new filter called the Geo Press that is able to handle the rigors of water from even the most contaminated sources world wide. It is able to take lead, bacteria, bugs and more out meaning that I can drink without worrying. The new filter also comes with the benefit of quick access to drinking water meaning i don’t have to carry as much with me lightening my load. My old method required more time and more water for me to get enough clean water to cook and drink with, but by being able to filter water in only 30 seconds I can speed up my whole trip.

For me planning a trip and working on ways to make it better has helped me put a goal in my future that can keep me focused during these last couple weeks of the semester. I would suggest that everyone try and make a short term goal so they can stay on track.

Why wake up with the sun? Your probably gonna feel tired, It’s cold, nothing is going on. You might even doubt your ability to even wake up that early, I know so many friends whose sleep schedules are destroyed because of this pandemic and being back at home. It seems like everything around us is changing and something staying certain is hard to find. Personally I struggled for the first couple weeks, adjusting to being back home then having surgery and now catching back up on missing two full weeks of school has really thrown me through the ringer. But recently I have been trying to find ways to get back on track and take control of my habits so I can stay motivated and efficient, especially with only two more weeks left in the semester.

My new strategy has been focusing on when I wake up and when I go to sleep. As of last week I have been going to bed only a few hours after the sun sets and waking up right before the sun has risen. That means I am asleep hopefully by 10:00 pm and awake by 5:45 AM.

I know that sounds kind of crazy and something that might be a little extreme for a lot of college students but I have found it to make a huge impact in my life. The first three to four days of this were tough, my body felt like I wasn’t getting enough sleep and getting out of bed took way more effort then it should have. It is so easy to just say to yourself one more hour, or just waste time scrolling through your phone while you are warm under the covers. But I was able to get myself used to getting out of bed right when I wake up after a few days.

Another difficult habit that has to change to make this successful is actually going to bed at a good time. Most people around my age have the same habit I do, where we lay in bed and scroll through instagram and snap chat or watch youtube. This actually is a huge culprit in why it seems like we are never getting enough sleep. By using phones before bed we are messing with our circadian rhythm. Our phones screens produce a bunch of light and staring directly at a screen before bed actually sends signals telling your brain it is still light outside. This makes it way harder to fall asleep. It also decreases that amount of natural melatonin your body produces, meaning the sleep you get is of less quality and more then likely you are missing out on valuable REM sleep. I have found that taking a melatonin supplement the first few days of starting a new sleeping schedule paired with a decrease in phone usage before bed to be very successful in helping your body get used to going to bed at a new time.

So the big question is why? Why should I wake up with the sun? For me it has given me so much time that can be used more efficiently. Because I have adjusted to the schedule, I now don’t have to use an alarm to wake up and my body naturally wakes me up right as the sun is starting to come up. I don’t feel tired and I begin my day before everyone else is up. My house has lots of distractions during the day  and by waking up early I get three undisturbed quite hours. I get to see a beautiful sunrise every morning. By the time everyone is starting to rise I have already got done the brunt of my work for the day, so I can spend the time when it is warmest outside enjoying nature.

For me waking up with the sun has put me back on track in a time where everything was pulling at me.

A five hour journey by car can bring about almost every emotion imaginable if you let it. The woods and mountain passes that lead you up and through some of the most gorgeous landscapes can bring a euphoria unlike any other. The liberating feeling that rushes through the mind when windows are lowered, and cold air and music mix, can set free a cacophony of pent up energy allowing even the most recluse of people to let their walls down. But travel isn’t always the magical thing you-tubers and social media influencers make it out to be.

Often the hour of endless monotonous traffic that is left out of their videos can lead audiences to expect a world of perfection and minimal inconvenience. But my goal in this blog post it to make a case for why life’s mishaps and imperfect moments are what make for the best of memories.

One of the best sections of my drive crazily enough was the hour long stretch of traffic. I passed hundreds of people all living their own reality, I saw dogs hanging out windows, people sining at the top of their lungs to cringe worthy songs, and families arguing. All together it amounted to a truly entertaining hour. When you take a moment to look around you and try to find the funny and beautiful things there are, tasks that can seem monotonous and boring can become fun and interesting.

Often while driving I can become lost in a mindset where I am just driving without really taking time to look around, this happens when I am just trying to get miles in, or I am almost to my destination. But when I realize that I have been so focused on just getting there I always try to look around and find the things that most people miss. Driving somewhere can be more then just a task, it can be a adventure.

Personally one of my favorite things to do is find places with great views or hidden away spots where my friends and I can hang. Just by looking around and keeping an eye out for cool sunsets and dirt roads that lead to who knows where, I have found many amazing spots that only my close friends know about. Take this picture for instance,I found this spot one day by  keeping  my eyes out for a small dirt road that I found  out existed  near the  lake and after driving for 20 minutes I found  a  small hidden  away  road barely  big enough to get a car through.  But it was worth the drive and the struggle to get out to the spot.  Now  this  has  become  one  of my groups favorite places in town  and  it only came about by taking a moment and looking for the small things. I think  now more then ever it has become important to find the time to look around and take in our surroundings.  Hopefully  it will make this trying time easier for us all.

You have to be careful when stepping out of your house. Paths and trails are like rivers which can sweep you off of your feet dragging you to new places and sights you have never seen. The road builds character and stories that will be shared for years to come. You can meet some of your best friends out in the strangest places and find people who’s way of life is unlike any other.

A trail name is a given name, often bestowed upon you by a friend. They normally relate to a story or trait of the person and is something the happens a lot on the Appalachian trail. Often people want to separate trail life from the real world and a trail name is a good way to break away from the norms of living in society. People find comfort in being christened with a new name it feels like a right of passage to being fully indoctrinated into the trail culture. My personal stories have given me two names that I am fond of and allow me to walk out of the woods with a little memento of my journeys.

The first one I got was from a friend who was in my hiking group. I had a habit of waking up early every morning before everyone else, to start a fire and make breakfast. Everyday I woke up with the sun and began moving around camp while the rest of the group slept in. I also had a habit of being very cloudy in the morning and kind of out of it. One morning I rose right before the sun came up and began the day by lighting a small fire to make coffee. My friend Jake came out of his tent a few minutes later probably roused by the smell of fresh coffee and greeted me at the fires edge. He said “good morning early eyes” and my new trail name for the group became Early Eyes.

The name sprang from nowhere and is seemingly inconspicuous and without meaning. But to me that name holds a story and a time spent with friends. I didn’t write this blog to convince everyone to adopt trail names or go on a five day hike. This blog was meant to remind everyone that great memories and times can come from small things. In this time where we are stuck at home with only family and work, it has become increasingly important to create these small moments that bring meaning into our lives. Stay up late watching a movie, read a new book, or enjoy a sunrise with a friend. By doing something of value everyday you can combat the feeling of being stagnant and fill your time with memories that will last after this pandemic is over. Search for the habits that bring you joy and stability in a world that is uncertain and depressing more often then not. Know that in time this all will pass and you will come out of it having grown and who knows some of you may have new nicknames to boot.

The recent notification from Penn State that we will be shifting to online education for the next three weeks has been a little bit of an awakening for both me and my friends.I feel like the transition to college and living on your own is a big step that while difficult teaches many, self autonomy, effective work strategies and basic habits needed to stay healthy. And after one semester at school I think many have the gist on what is essential to them staying productive and maintaining a good quality of life at school. But this newly learned dynamic would seem to be thrown into chaos now that we have to adjust to working from home.

I know for me this will be a trial of my fortitude and commitment to actually learning the material. Being back home offers so many distractions that I didn’t have while away. I have a lot more friends here to pull my attention away and my dogs that want to go on walks and family that wants to eat dinner together. I also now have to plan all of my training sessions by myself because there will be no team to train with here. Overall its a shift from the efficient and focused lifestyle I had been maintaining at Penn State.

But what it has opened the door to is a new experience. I love to do work outside by a lake or in the woods where my mind is quiet. This was something I couldn’t do at college and I am already enjoying it. This blog in fact is being written by the shores of Chauncey Pond in Westborough Mass, on a small dirt road only a select few know about. Its one of the only places left around home where I can escape the distractions. I think this is going to be the most important thing for many people. Trying to find a location that works for them, where they wont be distracted will be hard bu tit is the easiest way to succeed.

Another thing people will need to focus on is their attention to detail. Things can get mixed up in online communication and this can cause issues for grading and due dates. I know that I will personally be keeping more up to date on my calendar and emails. Both of these are essential if you want to stay on track while at home.

Overall I think this transition back to home will be interesting to reflect on. I hope that my work ethic continues while I am home and my parents get to see the level of effort I am used to putting into my work. I think they will be pleasantly surprised with the man I have become and the habits that I now keep. Hopefully with focusing on these key things I will continue to stay productive at home. It will be very interesting to see how this effects the Penn State Community, hopefully everyone stays safe.

I feel like I have been self analyzing myself a lot lately and have been searching for some things to work on. One of the main things I come back to is my inability to commit myself to a person. I struggle to let people into my world and talk about how I am feeling or what is important to me. I don’t really share what scares me with anyone or accept help to carry the burden when things get tough. People seem to enter my life and want to get closer to me yet I find myself keeping a buffer between us, saying things like “I can’t I have work” or “Maybe next time”. And then I move onto the next person. Its really interesting I only have a couple people in this world that truly know me and that I trust whole heartedly. It seems like it takes quite a lot for me to put someone in that zone of trust.

After looking back I think the problem stems from a couple of places. Bullying early on definitely toughened me up and hardened my emotions so I didn’t let them show when something was bothering me. I often try to take the stoic approach to things, letting life’s events wash around me like oncoming waves. I also think that I have an issue with trust, some early childhood friends betraying trust definitely made an impact, but more so i think the problem comes from a past relationship. I definitely have trouble trusting romantic attachment after being cheated on. And I still see it effect the way I approach new partners. I don’t often share how I feel about things, I am a very good listener and well equipped to help anyone through a tough time. But when it comes to sharing my own emotions I am a box with several locks on it.

In a way though I value this lack of trust it means that only really good people get to see the real me and know what makes me tick. But I also question whether the walls I put up are keeping just as good and beneficial people out of my life.

Its a hard line to walk between what is too much and what is too little. I think sometimes I need to just ante up and put my cards back out on the table instead of playing it safe. I mean how will I ever get to feel all the amazing things life has in store for me if i keep it close to the chest. My goal should be to try and make more connections, I should let some of the walls down at least for a little. I don’t need to let everyone in just try putting myself out there a little more. I think this is something a lot of people need work on as well. I mean look at our generations approach to dating and meeting people, we all kinda have walls up and easily move to new people when someone tries and gets to close.

This is a question I have been mulling around in my head after talking with one of my professors. She was quite passionate that only a few people should earn A’s and that there should be a system in grading that doesn’t allow for everyone to get an A. I struggle with this on one hand it is important to know that the grades were earned through hard work and strong performance, but I also don’t understand a system where many people are not able to get full marks.

I also look at some of the classes I have taken in the past and there attendance policies. One of my favorite classes did not require any attendance and coming to class was totally optional. What I found was that at the end of the semester there was a small group of 10 people who consistently showed up and had gotten something out of the course. The problem arose when a girl complained that those who didn’t come should be penalized. I completely hated the idea, because the class was PHIL102 the study of existentialism. Which looks at the meaning of life and discovering meaning. So I asked if this class is about discovering meaning and you have found a meaning that doesn’t allow you to be in class then why should this reflect negatively on your grade. I personally had used the class on a few occasions to go on a hike instead of going to class, reflecting on the stuff I had read and getting some journaling done. I just can’t understand how it would be so important to some one that attendance of others takes away from a grade. If you can get an A without going to a single class I think you deserve and A.

People today get so caught up about grades and numbers and how they reflect on them, rather then the knowledge they gained or the skill set they improved. I see this so much in the honors college, where I am surrounded by some of the smartest people at campus. All around me I hear people worrying about a 92 or an 89 and how they will never get into med school now. It seems like they are unwilling to disregard the grade and realize how much they actually have succeeded.

To me college shouldn’t be about proving your better then the rest to get an A. Or about attending classes just for a grade. I hate the concept of grades in general but understand why they are necessary. I committed to myself when I came her that all I would focus on was learning and getting better for the future and this has lead me to success. I am way less stressed and actually achieving better grades then I ever have. I found that if the reasons for me learning the material was stronger then just getting a grade I would actually get more done with less noticeable effort.

Some questions friends, family members and peers have asked me about my philosophy major.

Why Philosophy?

What will you do with that major?

Isn’t Philosophy a thing that old people do?

First off, asking why do philosophy is the exact reason why philosophy is needed. Questions, answers and meanings are central to consciousness and coming to terms with reality. Asking a conscious mind why do philosophy is similar to asking a fish why they swim. To have the ability to self actualize and reflect on our own thoughts without doing so would be the most egregious of acts. Philosophy is in every thing we do, it can analyze the smallest of particles to the largest of universes. Asking “Why Philosophy?” is one of the biggest questions we have yet to answer. Why should I do anything? Why shouldn’t I do everything? Does It meaning this reality actually exist or matter? You see by just asking one question you have already found the answer you were looking for.

I didn’t choose a philosophy major for a job. Yes it may help me get into law school, but the real world applications and reasons why I want to do philosophy out weigh any job or sum of cash. To me philosophy offers something that is more useful then general mastery of a subject or a way to show how intelligent I am. When I leave Penn state I hope that above all, my study of philosophy has made me wiser for it. Doing philosophy makes me look at the world in new and exciting ways. I take time and relish in the good moments and know that the bad ones have meaning in them. To me philosophy could be akin to someones devotion to a religion. But unlike with a deity you are devoted to yourself and your own meaning. I think one can’t chase wisdom, you can’t study how to be wise, or take a test to prove that you are. No degree will tell me that I am wise or prove to anyone else that I understand the happenings of the world. But what philosophy has taught me is that introspection and analyzation of the reality we live in is the easiest way to gain so called “wisdom”.

I believe that everyone should be doing philosophy, at least in some small way. Everyone should take time to self reflect and ask themselves why. Philosophy isn’t something that needs to be done by the elite everyone can do it. I feel like people hold philosophers to some high standard, but truly anyone who takes the time to look at the world and truly try to understand how and why it works can do philosophy. Hopefully this answers those three questions that I have been asked on many occasions. I would also like to add that talking down about anyones major is the lowest of blows and doesn’t take into consideration their goals and pillars of what their version of a successful life is. We need to stop judging each other for the things we are passionate about.

The life of a college student in this day and age is extremely stressful, with a multitude of deadlines, exams  biweekly and ominous research papers on the horizon it is totally understandable that students often can find themselves overwhelmed. This is especially true for first years who are stepping away from home maybe even for the first time. I know personally that at times I can feel the weight on my shoulders which is increased when my mind drifts to the field of philosophy and the potential responsibility I may have to accept if I choose to take a viewpoint similar to existentialism.

So in an attempt to help others I will explain some ways I find a reprieve from my everyday stress.

1. Meditation: This can be done anywhere at almost any time. One of the simplest ways to get yourself in the right headspace is to turn on relaxing music or ambient sound. Focus on your breath and how it moves both in and out. Just the simple task of focusing on your breath can calm you down, slow your heart rate and relieve stress. For those who are more advanced at meditation and are able to spend long periods of time thinking I would suggest a different way. Go into the meditation session with a question or an idea, something that needs an answer or a topic you want to develop an opinion on. Spend your time going down the multiple logical paths that you could choose. Try and view the problem from multiple angles and viewpoints. Even venture away from a view that focuses on sustaining your ego. This style of meditation or deep thinking often allows me to step back from the pace of the lifestyle I lead.
2.  Toil: Spend your time doing something that you are passionate about or something with a purpose. I often find that hard work that doesn’t have a looming deadline can be really helpful. When I was ever having a rough day or something was on my mind back home I would go and chop wood. Just the simple task of putting an ax through a block of wood could allow me a short break from the stress I was experiencing. Personally hard work feels good and when you come out of it with results wether this be a pile of firewood or a personal record in the weight room the feeling can take almost any weight off your shoulders.
3. Disconnect: If all else fail and the work load is becoming to much it is ok to give yourself a break. I find that sometimes all I need to get back into the game is a walk through the woods with no music, no texts, no deadlines just me the trees and the trail. Everyone has a place where they feel free I am sure of it. I know that everywhere I go I am looking for these places, wether they be the edge of a cliff, the top of a building, the bank of a river or a log in the woods. Allow yourself to find that place that you feel safe and alone. Solitude can be a gift that many don’t realize in the hyperconnected society we have.