On Wednesday, we discussed our potential HAPs that we’d implement next quarter. To inspire us, Sophia showed her HAP project from last year; it was an advice video from the older generation to the younger generation. It was really heartwarming seeing them and hearing their advice. In the video, one of the women said to “always make friends and cherish your time with them.” It was sweet hearing her rave about her friendships and encouraging us to always connect and keep up with one another. One of my fears is it being harder to make friends post-graduation, however, after hearing her discuss how open everyone is to making friends no matter the age, it made me hopeful that it won’t be as difficult as I originally thought. Someone else in the video also said when they were in their 30s, they thought their 20s were the best years of their lives; when they were in their 40s, they thought their 30s were the best years of their lives; etc. It made me aware to be present in the moment and not take anything for granted. I think about my life pre-COVID, and it makes me wish that I went out and explored San Diego more. While in quarantine, I’m grateful to use this time to become a better version of myself, I cannot wait for when COVID is contained and it’s safe to go outside again. I know that in the future, I’ll never miss out on another chance to live in the moment, spend time and go out with my friends.
On Wednesday, we were told to close our eyes for 10 minutes and visualize ourselves at 80. Maybe it was too early in the morning for me or maybe I was overwhelmed with the thought of being older than my grandparents, but I just sat there, no thoughts, just me in the moment. After 4 minutes of nothing had passed, I decided to think not about the physical but emotional aspects of my life at 80. When I’m 80, I will feel the peace I felt at the beginning of this exercise. I believe that being able to be in the moment is something I struggle with at times, so feeling that calmness is something I strive for, especially when I’m older. When I’m 80, I hope to be surrounded by love, joy and excitement for a new day. I hope that my life is filled with even more purpose and meaning after I achieved all my career goals (like being AICP-certified!) and that I have new things to check off my bucket list (like going skydiving!). I hope that I have a lot of stories, experience, and knowledge to share. I hope to have weekly family gatherings, whether it’d be sharing a meal, having a game night, or watching a movie. I hope that I have a great group of friends who I can hang out, exercise, and go shopping with. In terms of location, I picture myself and my husband living in a nice seaside cottage in a town where everything is accessible by walking. I plan on traveling with my husband together, whether it’d be going to Scotland, France, New Zealand, or the neighboring city for a new spot to eat. When thinking about a typical day in my life, I imagine going on a morning walk, hanging out at home, going to the beach, going shopping, watching the sunset from my backyard, and watching a show/movie. At the end of those 10 minutes, this exercise made me look forward to this life in the future, especially living in a seaside cottage! This exercise made me confront my nervousness whenever I think about the future, and I look forward to learning more and eliminating those fears every Wednesday.
|
Allyn ReyesAllyn is an Urban Studies & Planning major from Azusa, CA. Fun fact, the first time she dyed her hair, it was on accident. Archives
May 2021
Categories |