Embracing My ‘Ah-ha’ Moment

Ever since I got my license junior year, I have looked forward to the morning drive to school. It provides a short period of time for me to get out of my head and escape into a world where I can appreciate the ever-changing scenery. The hilly, curvy ride down the back roads lends itself to lucid thoughts. As cliché as it sounds, this drive has helped me finally realize that life is about the journey, not the destination.

Let me elaborate: you see, my high school experience has been anything but relaxing. Every school day seemed to bring more stress than the next, and I often got caught up in all of it. “Just get through the next test, the next in-class essay, the next project,” I would say to myself.

But what if—here’s a crazy thought—I had just stepped back and looked at this thing called “the bigger picture.” All along, the goal was to get straight As and be the seemingly perfect student; however, I found myself getting so involved with the day’s tasks that it never once occurred to me that I should take some time to stop and smell the roses.

That’s where my drive to school comes in. Every morning, I clear my head of anything causing me to feel overwhelmed and just drive. I covet this drive because it is often the only time I have to decompress. We all need to take time out of our busy lives to enjoy the incredible world around us—it’s crucial to living a balanced life. The way the journey impacts us and makes us feel: that is what it’s all about. Because when I realized that life will pass me by if I don’t stop to look around once in a while, a huge light bulb went off in my head and I genuinely understood the value of getting there.