I don’t remember what day it was or even how old I was. I don’t remember what grade I was in, and I don’t remember if my siblings were even born. I think it is my earliest memory, but I can’t be sure. What I do know is that this, one of the simplest moments in my life, stands out the most.

I had recently gotten out of the shower, pulling my warm pajamas over my tiny body and looking in the mirror, brushing my damp mid length brown hair. I then hung my towel on the little, round, yellow rubber duck hook in the bathroom at the end of the hall. Afterwards, I took the short trek to my mom and dad’s room; one of my favorite places to cuddle or hide from the raging thunderstorms at night. I sat down on a small white loveseat, wedged behind the bed and the dresser drawers, and I put my feet up on a little ottoman, perfect for my tired stubby legs.

My mom then looked over and went into the bathroom. She came back with a bottle of fragrant peppermint lotion and a wooden foot massage.

Without even having to ask, my mom began to rub my sore feet with the moisturizer, the whole room filling with the sweet scent of peppermint. While she worked on the left foot, I massaged the right, feeling the wooden spheres glide across my youthful muscles.

A second later, my childlike self had an obscure thought, one of joy and sadness, of bliss and melancholy. I wanted time to stop. I wanted this moment to last forever. I never wanted to get out of that chair, to feel the weight of the world again, to be separated from my mom. I wanted to remain however old I was for the rest of my life, and in some strange way I was able to make that happen.

I know I’m not a young child, and I know that I’m not in my home, inhaling the scent of peppermint. The couch I was sitting on isn’t even in my parent’s bedroom anymore. It’s in the living room below, now an old scratching post for my two cats.

But what I do know is that when the pressures of the earth, bearing down on my shoulders are just too much, I can close my eyes and be transported to that little white couch in my childhood home, receiving a relaxing foot rub from one of the people I love the most.

All of this is true because a long long time ago I believed in stopping time, and I still do. The clock will still run, the seconds will continue to tick, but if a moment in your life just seems too good to let go, you can always freeze it in your heart.

I have a few ideas for my This I believe podcast as well as some excerpts from potential drafts.

My first idea is about adventure and finding yourself in a new place. I have a story from one of my experiences in Austria in which I took the beaten path when I thought I would be heading down a normal road. I went to the top of a mountain, unexpectedly, terrified for my life during the drive, all in search of a few cows. At the top of the mountain, I experienced a rural life I had never even known existed. A man and his wife lived in a small lodge, sleeping in the roof of the loft, the cows below. I ate some strange (awful tasting) cured bacon and cheese, and I tried a strange shot of potent blue liquid that was supposed to “cure my carsickness”. I was with my favorite people, my mom, sister, and my host sister. During the trip I was a bit miserable, but after I realized the experience was one I may never encounter again.

I’ve always loved cows. I even milked one on my 16th birthday. So when my host sister, Marlene, asked me if I wanted to go see some Austrian cows, naturally I said yes.

It was the summer after I met my newfound best friend, who unfortunately lives across the Atlantic Ocean. My mom, sister, and I decided to visit her and her family in Austria for a few weeks. This time it was her turn to be the host sister.  

When she came to my home in America, she showed me pictures of her mountain lodge and told stories of the notorious Austrian cows, much more approachable than the American variety.

Little did I know that these cows were located in the most treacherous of places, on the peaks of the Central Eastern Alps.

My second idea is about stopping time and just making the most of the moment you are in. It also has to do with keeping your home in your heart and getting through tough times. One of my first memories involves me in my moms room after a shower, and she gave me an impromptu pedicure, using my favorite peppermint lotion that I can still smell even today. During the experience, I wanted time to stop, and I never wanted to get out of the chair and feel the weight of the world again. I can still clearly picture the memory, but I have no context to the days or time surrounding the experience.

I don’t remember what day it was or even how old I was. I don’t remember what grade I was in, and I don’t remember if my siblings were even born. I think it is my earliest memory, but I can’t be sure. What I do know is that this, one of the simplest moments in my life, stands out the most.

I had recently gotten out of the shower, pulling my warm pajamas over my tiny body and looking in the mirror, brushing my damp mid length brown hair. I then hung my towel on the little, round, yellow rubber duck hook in the bathroom next to my room. Afterwards, I took the short trek to my mom and dad’s room; one of my favorite places to cuddle or hide from the raging thunderstorms at night. I sat down on a small white love seat in the corner of the room, and I put my feet up on a little ottoman, perfect for my tired stubby legs.

In terms of my passion blog, I want to stay on the same course with fashion history, but I think I want to add a few new features and expand my realm just from American Fashion. I enjoyed how I had broken the blog up by decades, but since there are only so many decades, I would like to include maybe ancient fashion history or even Victorian as well as features on different cultures and notable designers/fashion icons. Also, I would like to examine the external influences that other countries had on America’s fashion boom as well as fashion offenses such as cultural appropriation.

Now for my civic issues blog, I am really interested in doing something regarding gender equality and women’s rights. I want to examine the role of women in the workplace and collect information about the way they are treated compared to their male counterparts as well as the proportion of pay they receive. Also, I think it would be interesting to gather some real life male and female perspectives of gender equality from men and women in the same workplace and see how their opinions compare and contrast. Additionally, it would be interesting to include perspectives from transgender individuals and see how their experiences have changed as they have gone through life as each gender.

I am also interested in writing about climate change and gathering perspectives of different individuals. I would also like to gather background on different individuals and see how their external influences affect their opinions on climate change. I want to combine scientific data and rhetorical analysis to gauge the climate change issue and its potential impact on society and well as local communities.