Work Hard, Play Harder

Between working two jobs and having two social lives, I found myself working hard and playing harder in D.C. There is no other way to describe it. The harder I worked, the harder I played. As I spend my days reading, swimming, and applying to jobs back in Brea, California I recognize a trend in my life. I go with the momentum of my surroundings. As mentioned in my previous post "From West to East", with energetic surroundings, my energy will stay afloat and I spin out of control. I recognized this adjustment coming back from living a few months in a foster care home in Spain, moving back into the scholastic and collegial lifestyle at Berkeley. I was inclined to take it easy and keep things simple, organized, and fun. Fall 2011 semester, I received my best marks and, more importantly, absorbed and learned the most out of any other semester at Berkeley. With four classes, a couple soccer teams, and limited working hours, I was focused and clear-headed. By Spring 2012, my last semester at Berkeley, I had sunk back into the worker-bee, do-it-all attitude from my surroundings. Taking 21 units, I did do it all. That being said, I dabbled in many things rather than absorbing all the material.

All I am trying to say is this past year has been a lesson in surrounding influences and how deeply they influence my motivations. For now, I will take my time to sip coffee and read the morning paper in Brea, California.