My South

Physically speaking, North and South are polar opposites. When I think of North I think of cold, dark, mountains. When I think of South I think of warmth, sunlight, and beaches. I have never traveled north of a family vacation, we only go down south. This is because the south is a happier place.

My ideal 'south' would be my house at the Jersey Shore. It is where I spend my summers, early falls, and late springs. I would prefer to be there rather than my house up north. I did not grow to appreciate my escape down south until I got into high school. It was then that I realized that being by a beach was relaxing. I loved how I could escape reality, I could be in a place where nothing mattered. 

Whenever I get upset when I am at my beach house I always walk on the beach. I love being alone and reflecting on what happened, what I could have done to avoid the situation, and what I could do to fix the issue. Being in the south makes me more understanding, reasonable, and compassionate.

 At the same time that I find myself during these reflective walks, I lose myself. I think about who I am and what that means to me which helps me find myself. While this is happening I lose myself because it does not matter. Who I am and what I am like does not matter when I am walking alone on the beach because no one is around. 

It's crazy to think how traveling an hour down south from where I am from could completely change my mindset.