Around two weeks I decided to take initiative and plan a trip for me and my family. I decided to go to Tangalle for a weekend getaway. I was telling them about how I wanted to get away from the city for a little bit and go to the beach for some peace and calm and Tangalle is beautiful this time of the year in Sri Lanka. While I still planned on doing my work, I thought a change of scenery would benefit myself and my work.
For me, it required strength and growth to realize that I needed to take a step back and relax. I’ve always been on top of my work and very independent, I’ve grown used to not depending on anyone for help. This experiencing helped me grow and understand that sometimes stepping back and taking some time for myself was okay.
When we arrived in the morning after the long drive, we decided to explore the villa for a bit then retired to our rooms for a little nap. I woke up earlier than my parents and decided to sit by the beach and do some leisure reading. I had recently started Khalid Hosseini’s acclaimed novel “The Kite Runner,” a bildungsroman set during Afghanistan’s crucial years.
At first, it was challenging to get out of the city mindset and relax. While it may sound extremely weird, I had to commit and persevere to relax because I realized the quality of my work would drop if I didn’t.
After my parents woke up, we had a delicious late lunch and took an afternoon dip in the ocean, while it was slightly cold it was nice to relax and spend some alone time with my family. Playing in the ocean with them was an extremely nostalgic moment as it brought back snippets of my childhood, and I realized that this would probably be one of the last times I would be able to do this before I headed off to college.
All in all, I’m so glad that I took this trip and learned to relax. I know that this mindset will aid me not only in high school and college but throughout my life.