Reflections

This post is much less about my time in Hamburg, and much more a self-reflection. So if you, like me, don't often know what to do with your free time, then feel free to read it. If it's too wordy and boring for you, feel free to skip to the posts with pictures. I will not be offended. It is, after all, very much an "all about me" post. I don't usually do that sort of thing. Anyway.

My roommate today asked me a question that I'm never very good at answering, and I therefore find it pretty annoying: "What do you like to do in your free time?" I feel like I never do myself justice, making it sound like I'm a home-body who just sits on the computer all the time. Well I want to do myself justice in this question for once.

First, you have to understand that the concept of free time is pretty new to me. For the past eight years, I have kept myself so busy with a combination of school, work, dance, and volunteering, that when I finally did have an hour or two to myself, all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch mindless television. Not kidding, one quarter at UCLA I held down three jobs as a full-time student and was part of a dance team. Another quarter, I took four classes, rehearsed 20 hours a week for our dance show, volunteered with Unicamp, and maintained my student job at the UCLA store. It's only recently that the term "free time" has even entered my daily vocabulary.

1. I always stay as active as possible. If I'm not rehearsing 20 hours a week for a dance show, I'm training for a half marathon or a marathon (or a little of both). And since I'm an all-or-nothing personality and fitness is very important to me, one of these usually consumes most of my time and focus. Even if I have a day off, I'll go for a hike or walk the dog just because.

2. I spend a lot of time with family. They're the most important people in my life, and sometimes there's nothing better than just hanging around the dinner table and talking, or looking up the newest hilarious viral Youtube videos to show my parents. When I was in college, some of my favorite weekend evenings were the ones where I went to my sister and brother-in-law's apartment just to watch a movie or have a google hangout with our parents and brother.
     And my neighbors. They're also my family. A Saturday evening hanging out at my neighbor's garage and doing nothing in particular is the best.

3. I love sports. I didn't quite realize how much until I started these recent self-reflections, but I love going to live games and watching games on TV whenever possible. I became especially hooked on football while I was at UCLA, but even in high school I loved the social aspect. And I kid you not, the Fox jingle for Sunday football always reminds me of breezy, sunny, fall days at home in Ventura.
(To see which one I'm talking about, click here)

4. I'm a project person. I usually find a project and work on it diligently for a month or so. Projects from the past couple of years include: Pinterest paintings, a cover for my laptop, re-decorating two bedrooms, making a scrapbook, and everything wedding-related. And unlike people who start projects but never fully finish them, I always see projects through to the end. There's a certain satisfaction in knowing I completed something.

5. I like to just "take in the view". If I have a whole afternoon off, I'll spontaneously go for a drive or a walk and just wander. I'm rarely more at peace than when I'm at the top of a hill, taking in a view that stretches beyond what the eyes can see. This is also how I like to travel: I just start walking and enjoy the process of wandering. It's almost meditative in that it gives me time to think and ultimately clear my head.

6. Spending time with friends can take on any form, from Vegas trips to coffee, from beaches to bars, Christmas parties to Disneyland. As long as I like the people I'm with, I'm happy.

7. Finally, after all these things that I'd rather do, if I'm really interested, I'll read a book or watch a movie.  But I often re-read the same books and re-watch the same movies. I like knowing I'm going to like it, that it'll leave me happy. And the same goes for music: I don't easily get sick of a song, and I don't usually like waiting through a new one to see if it's good. So I'll listen to the same few over and over for literally months.

So when I tell you I haven't seen a well-known movie or heard of the latest Indie band, please refer to this post for why.

Finally, 3 things I would like to do more of if I had the time and money:
1. travel
2. camp
3. go to amusement parks

There you have it. If you made it to the end of this, it probably means you're my mom, or you have a midterm coming up and are trying really hard to procrastinate in any way possible. But I just felt like writing it.

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." (Oscar Wilde)