Yes I am doing the whole college application process over again, and yes it is a pain, and yes it can be really hard on my pride. With all things considered I know I need to do this. It’s no secret that I’m taking a Gap Year, and it was finally time for me to explain to the Common App why.
So here we go,,,,,,
I recently received some advice that has changed the way I move through the world. A four word sentence that I will carry with me forever: life isn't a race. I love school, I love learning and constantly challenging my intellect, but something about the world beyond it called to me too. I think with my heart and I let poetic words drive me through not only school and theater, but through my life and around different places in the world . One thing I always knew about myself was that I love to travel. Growing up in a biracial home, cultural differences made me who I am and they continue to inspire and fascinate me as I encounter them in other spaces. To explore more about myself and why other cultures and experiences draw me, I decided to take a Gap Year. In this Gap Year I have traveled to NYC for a little art inspiration, I took a trip to Montreal with AFS Intercultural and was a youth participant in their Young Active Global Citizens Day, and I have been rehearsing in A Chrsitmas Carol at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Once my show closes I plan on backpacking through South America for 6 weeks and spending lots of time in Ecuador with my family to discover more about my roots and culture. I also have a passion for writing and I have recently started a blog to document what I experience and open it up to the world. My blog consists of everything in my life but it centers around travel. I look forward to these next couple of months to explore, learn about the world, and share it with my community through my writing. There is so much to discover and I have learned that it’s okay to give myself the time to do just that—explore—because at the end of the day it's not about how fast I got there, it’s about how I found my way along the journey.
This isn’t easy, if I’m being honest I have really struggled. I know this is right for me and I know I am growing everyday from it.
Life isn’t a race. Life isn’t a race. Life isn’t a race.
Goodnight!
Panda