Listen to the Music

Back to school after the loveliest two to three weeks in the last six months, and the question of whether to start completely anew or pick up where I left off is divisive. But I don’t think anyone can argue that we all need a little pick-me-up from time to time, especially during the throes of college life, and this blog offered me at least some semblance of peaceful reflection. As you can no doubt guess by the location and tone of this passion post so far, I opted to stick with my previous theme of attesting to the beauty of life at Penn State in an attempt to focus on appreciating all there is here at this place we call home; the scenery, atmosphere, and even the hellish workload we all endure.

Speaking of back to school, would it really be a blog post without inclusion of at least one squirrel? I think not. Luckily, on my way to the White building to work out, I noticed a squirrel in the tree munching away, still chunky from the preparation done for winter. Within myself, I noted a readiness that was not present at the start of last semester as well as a contented, stress free outlook that only really developed for me towards the last week or two before break as I encouraged myself, “Don’t Worry Be Happy“. I also recognized that while I was better prepared for the tasks and pressures of last semester, that doesn’t equate to this semester and I still have a long way to go before I’m fully prepared for the challenges I am sure to see.

On one of my recurring 7am wake up mornings, I saw 2 planes flying past one another (the white contrails that are hopefully visible) above the HUB, similarly to the post from last semester, and couldn’t help being reminded of how often life tends to follow subtle patterns. Habits and tendencies alike are patterns we build for ourselves and with the new year, I, like many others, decided that this year I would change mine in pursuit of a more satisfactory life. From working out every day to eating healthier to picking up Duolingo again, I’ve been making strides in my search for a happier outlook. 

One of the things I came to terms with over break is that nothing can affect us unless we let it. This holds true for the negative, of course, like a lower than expected grade or a particularly rainy day (like this Thursday was), but also for the positive things like when someone sends you a “thinking of you” text with a song recommendation or the rain holds off until you’re safe and sound in your dorm. As we move forward with the semester, and I with this blog, I know that we’ll all begin to see a little more clearly the beauty that surrounds and fills us, and I hope that we recognize the good things and let them affect us.