Essay Prompt: Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
Colleges to which I am applying:
Stanford, University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Berkeley, Colorado State University, Warren Wilson College, Lewis and Clark, and University of Colorado Boulder.
Crunch, crunch, crunch goes the steady
rhythm of the souls of my tennis shoes as they crush the dry, brittle, fallen
leaves. I push a little faster. My legs burn as lactic acid builds up around
my muscles. This sensation does not make
me want to reduce my pace; in fact, I revel in the challenge. Crunch,
crunch. The beat quickens. My lips part to let in more oxygen. My body tingles with anticipation as I lock
my gaze on the rock a hundred feet up the trail that marks the top of the
mountain. I push my body into a full on sprint. My lungs and legs are on fire. I reach the rock but refuse to stop, continuing
along the ridge. This is the closest I
come to flying. Out of the protection of
the trees, with the brisk autumn breeze caressing my skin, I am alive. I am free.
I maintain the sprint until forced to stop by of lack of oxygen.
My
chest heaves as my lungs desperately absorb oxygen. I stand feeling the slight touch of the wind
on my skin-- an invisible embrace. My
eyes drift shut. At the moment right
before my eyes are completely closed, my lashes catch the light, sending patterns
of color, like sorbet drizzled in sunlight.
My body is still tingling with the thrill of being pushed to the
limit. Thu thump, thu thump. My
heart pulses steadily in my ears, circulating oxygen to every cell of my being.
I can feel the strength in my legs with each pulse. My breath finally calms, and I open my eyes
to the spectacular view. Snow-covered
mountains tops reach longingly towards the pure blue sky. There are a few patches of golden aspens
stubbornly holding on to their leaves dotting the otherwise coniferous covered landscape.
The cold of the upcoming winter will soon claim the leaves to blanket the
ground against the snow.
I
have reached the top. Normally, I would
access this view via mountain bike but today I am on foot. I take a few steps, shake out my legs and
close my eyes, letting my other senses take over. This is where I belong. Pushing myself to the limit in order to reach
a destination is what I was made to do.
I tackle a challenge with every skill that I have and all the energy I
can muster. The commonly heard phrase, "If it's something worth doing,
than it's worth doing well," encompasses how I approach challenges. This sort of mindset may cause pain in the
moment, but the end result is worth it. When,
in the middle of a race, I push my pedals a little harder to catch the wheel in
front of me, I am content. When, in
chemistry class, I create a project that looks at the positives of coal power,
I am content because I am challenged to research and understand a perspective I
do not agree with. Even the simple task
of mopping the floor of a soup kitchen
sets my mind at ease because I am contributing to something I believe in. With a task to passionately submerge myself
into, I am satisfied and happy.
It
is not a specific place that makes me feel content, but a state of being. I do not feel content unless I am learning
the most that I can learn and pushing my own limitations. As I look out at the great expanse of white-capped
summits, a feeling of expectation for the future overcomes me: more mountains
to climb, more knowledge to learn and more ways to push the limits.
Essay Prompt: Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
Colleges to which I am applying:
Stanford, University of California Santa Cruz,
University of California Berkeley, Colorado State University, Warren Wilson
College, Lewis and Clark, and University of Colorado Boulder.
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