At the back end of my room are two double doors that lead to a balcony. This balcony was utilized almost every weekend from eighth grade to present by myself and my friends as we shared countless stories, memories, and had fun. I thought of all the times it was a beautiful sunny day, or raining and I had to hide under the umbrella, or so cold that I could only bear to be out there a few minutes. The balcony overlooks Lake Austin, an essential piece of my not only my backyard, but my life in my second childhood home.
When taken through the exercise of meditation at the beginning of class, the soothing and nostalgia sparking process took me back to my balcony because of the mindset I was put in. I often realized my place on earth on that balcony: on the second story of my home in the hills of Austin, Texas. There was almost never a time where tranquility and happiness didn’t engulf that space which makes it so special to me. There, I realized the special opportunity I have to be alive and the importance to utilize my existence.