Hey the Rain is Gone!

Good news! The rain and ickiness are gone! That means that the skies are all clear.
This post is about


Clear

(That was the closest that I could get to a clear font that was readable.)


IS CLEAR A COLOR??????   When I was little there was a girl in my preschool class who told everyone that her favorite color was clear. At the time we thought, and told her, that clear wasn't a color. In our 4 year-old world, color was something you could see and we could never see clear when we colored our drawings or painted our pictures. Clear wasn't in our clothes or shoes or bags and lunch boxes.  Although you could paint your nails clear, none of us ever did because what was the fun

Time has passed and I have begun to rethink those days of disbelief. Now that I am thinking about it I have decided that clear is in fact a color, and a lovely one too.

Clear is brilliant in that it allows us to see other colors, clearly. For example, now that the sky is clear and doesn't have any clouds I can see the blue as far in any direction as I want to. After it rains, with all of the clear water in the air and a little sunlight, we can see rainbows.  Sometimes, after our windows have been washed, I can look through the clear glass and the world around looks brighter and better than it did just moments earlier. I am seeing clearly.

Seeing clear is cool, but seeing clearly it is really a state of mind, one that I desperately wish I could have. Wouldn't it be nice to have clear organized thoughts all of the time? To be able to know with certainty that you are going in the right direction? Have everything you need? Are choosing the right friends, the best classes, the most interesting books?

I definitely do not have a clear mind.

In my mind clarity is associated with inner peace which I also want to have. I want that badly enough that I actually have thought about taking up yoga or becoming a Buddhist or something. In the meantime, I have to ponder just what I do think clearly about...

The one thing that always brings me that sense of clarity is thinking about what I want to do with my life. To some people that might seem scary or stressful but I find it quite calming. I have an ideal future planned out for myself already.

I want to go college at William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.  When I was there on a visit last Spring, I was able to clearly see myself walking the campus, enjoying the town, and feeling that the school and students were warm and welcoming.

Isn't it so picturesque?
Photo Courtesy of Daily Press

I am going to live in a really cute apartment in New York or San Francisco, with a friend, right out of college. I clearly think I will be ready for a big city after four years in a small college town. I also want to be close to a major airport ...

Dream apartment right here
Photo Courtesy of Varrell

because I am going to do health care/ community service work internationally.  The idea that I have things to offer others, to help in a way that makes their lives better is a calm, clear goal.  Of course, I hope that I am going to take all sorts of cool trips to exotic places. I want more than anything to travel the world, not as a tourist, but to really learn about cultures and experience people as they clearly are.

My single life goal
Photo Courtesy of Tumblr

Then when I get married I am going to live in an adorable beach house in Oregon, Northern California, or somewhere in New England. I want to grow old and watch my kids grow up with people that I love dearly all around me. 

I clearly have a long way to go, to get there from where I am now.  Although the path is clear, it is colorful, and full of exciting opportunities for adventure.

Which is Which?

I am wearing some leggings today and I cannot really decide if they are maroon, purple or burgundy.

The sun was too bright... But there are the famous pants.

I think that they may be burgundy, so therefore this post is going to be about

Burgundy

Actually it's not. I don't really know anything about burgundy. So instead this post is going to be about relaxing which I like to do more than just about anything else... except eating and sleeping. Pretty much all of the comfortable clothes that I own are burgundy. I have sweatshirts, sweaters, leggings, hoodies, socks, boots, and yoga pants all in burgundy.

Burgundy clothing items...
Photo Courtesy of Fresh Collective

I personally try to leave at least a little time each week for relaxation. It can be hard to find that time between swim practice, school, and homework. I think my busy schedule makes it all the more important that I have some time to myself.

Apparently lack of sleep is one of the leading causes of stress, depression, and anxiety according to Dartmouth University . Did you know that it is also better to study for twenty minutes and get a good nights sleep than to stay up late and study for two hours.

Sleep and relaxation have been proven time and time again to improve mood, grades, and heath.

Too much stress can actually cause us to become sick. When people are stressed they tend to eat poorly, sleep less, stop exercising, etc. Which pushes the immune system to its limits and can make us sick.

I think that that just proves that taking time for yourself is just about the best thing that you can do. Sometimes I take a little too much time for myself, and I end up procrastinating and then get more stressed. It is just one vicious cycle.

Speaking of stress, this week I have high school swimming state on Friday and Saturday. I am really nervous for it. However, my swim coach realizes as well the importance of relaxation. In fact today we did something that he calls "Relaxation". We do it before every big meet.

What happens is we into a room with all of our towels and stuff after practice, and lay down. Then my coach leads us through a series of relaxation and breathing exercises.

Can I just say, it is amazing, it feels so good, and makes you so calm and relaxed! So in short, burgundy is one of my favorite colors, both to wear and relax with. Maybe you will be inspired to buy some burgundy clothes and go do some yoga or something.