Searching for possibility

My favorite word of last week was  ✨ anti-senioritis ✨.  For the next few months, my new goal is to reach anti-senioritis. But thinking about it, senioritis itself is open to interpretation. To what point of laziness does senioritis entail? Every year, I'll claim that I'm under [insert grade]-itis, but is it just me covering for my perceived faults and failures?

Reading Their Eyes Were Watching God has allowed me to broaden my perspective on the line between unproductivity and productivity. A motif in the novel is the horizon, as compared to land. Our often-materialistic selves cause us to count quantity, such as the number of fields in TEWWG, rather than quality. As Janie listened to Jody, she felt that he "spoke for far horizon; for change and chance". The vast possibilities of exploration instead of confinement with Logan appealed to Janie, to which she decided to run off with Jody. One could say Janie was more of an idealist than a realist—the neverending line of the horizon foreshadows the troubles that forebode. 

But let us revisit the context of being a second semester senior: applying to college provides us with a new horizon. With a specific major and more variety in courses, we exit the common core and enter a wide range of course combinations and co-curricular opportunities. We will explore the possibilities college gives us to find our niche post-college. Nevertheless, for now, we as second semester seniors want to do activities we didn't dedicate as much time toward. Whether it's catching up on TV episodes we missed or trying a hobby we'd always wanted to do, the time between post-college apps and pre-frosh year is our first entryway toward the horizon. I am opening myself up to hobbies such as music and hula hooping, life skills such as personal finance and cooking (something other than grilled cheese and waffles), and depth in academic fields such as psychology and coding. I am seeking to read the books that fill up my to-read list and bake the recipes on my Pinterest board (a long list — taking it one step at a time, also with help of mentors like my mother). I'm not too used to spending time on an activity that doesn't directly contribute to my school courses, and thus feel unproductive at times. But taking advantage of the opportunity I have to do things for myself is productive in its own way. Balancing schoolwork and what makes us happy is one step toward finding what we enjoy, what makes us one with the horizon. 🌊🌅