Granola
The great thing about moving for college is that you're able to redefine yourself. You can become the person you've always wanted to be without the negative influence of people from your past. No one knows who you are and I've learned that's a blessing. If you're lucky enough to find a college that suits you perfectly, the people around you should help you figure out the type of person that you want to be and how to get there. The mark of a college well-chosen is one that brings out your best self and makes you proud of the person you're becoming.
On a recent visit back to Laramie, I spent time with one of my closest friends and she mentioned that I had become a granola. I was a little taken aback by this as the term "granola" has always held a negative connotation and brought to mind people wearing hemp clothing while sitting in the middle of a field smoking pot. She went on to explain that, in her mind, a granola was someone who is close to nature and spends most of their time in the mountains. The more I thought about that interpretation, the more I realized that she was right.
The outdoors have always been a pivotal part of my life but they now play a bigger part than ever before. One of the downsides to living in Laramie was that very few of my friends had the same outdoor interests as I did. I rarely hiked and went snowshoeing maybe twice in my five years of living there. Now that I live in a town where it's considered scandalous to not adore the outdoors, I've learned just how much I've missed out on.
On any given day on MSU's campus, you are guaranteed to find people with all of their ski gear sitting in the dining hall, people headed to the gym with their climbing gear, and a few goofballs with sleds and trays from the dining hall that they're taking up to the mountains. When you're surrounded by an entire student body that loves the outdoors so much they're willing to put their academic standing at risk, it's easy to get just excited as they are. It's this infectious energy that has showcased nature in a brand new light. No longer do I see an ordinary snow-covered trail, but a chance to test out our luge skills on a cheap Wal-Mart sled. I don't just see a powder-packed meadow, but a landing pad for snow angels. It's amazing what the right group of people can open your eyes to.
The mountains will always hold immeasurable amounts of magic for me. There is nowhere that I would rather spend my free time than running through their forests and snowshoeing along their frozen rivers. If the word "granola" means that I call the mountains home, then I think being viewed as a granola is one of the highest honors I could possibly be given.
On a recent visit back to Laramie, I spent time with one of my closest friends and she mentioned that I had become a granola. I was a little taken aback by this as the term "granola" has always held a negative connotation and brought to mind people wearing hemp clothing while sitting in the middle of a field smoking pot. She went on to explain that, in her mind, a granola was someone who is close to nature and spends most of their time in the mountains. The more I thought about that interpretation, the more I realized that she was right.
The outdoors have always been a pivotal part of my life but they now play a bigger part than ever before. One of the downsides to living in Laramie was that very few of my friends had the same outdoor interests as I did. I rarely hiked and went snowshoeing maybe twice in my five years of living there. Now that I live in a town where it's considered scandalous to not adore the outdoors, I've learned just how much I've missed out on.
On any given day on MSU's campus, you are guaranteed to find people with all of their ski gear sitting in the dining hall, people headed to the gym with their climbing gear, and a few goofballs with sleds and trays from the dining hall that they're taking up to the mountains. When you're surrounded by an entire student body that loves the outdoors so much they're willing to put their academic standing at risk, it's easy to get just excited as they are. It's this infectious energy that has showcased nature in a brand new light. No longer do I see an ordinary snow-covered trail, but a chance to test out our luge skills on a cheap Wal-Mart sled. I don't just see a powder-packed meadow, but a landing pad for snow angels. It's amazing what the right group of people can open your eyes to.
The mountains will always hold immeasurable amounts of magic for me. There is nowhere that I would rather spend my free time than running through their forests and snowshoeing along their frozen rivers. If the word "granola" means that I call the mountains home, then I think being viewed as a granola is one of the highest honors I could possibly be given.
yeahhhhhhh love this!
ReplyDeleteThanks big sis:):)
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