Me, the road, and my skateboard. For me, this puts me at peace from it all. A lot comes to mind when talking about calmness on my skateboard. Freedom from life during Covid, pressures of school and sports, expectations, responsibilities, and much more. My skateboard gives me the capability to relax, push everything aside, and enjoy the view.

I didn't always feel this harmony; at times I felt burdened by the aforementioned topics. To be a perfect straight-A student at every test, quiz, quarter, and year. To do all of my homework and studying, manage my time, and not procrastinate on assignments. Times when I had to show up to every swimming, track, and cross-country practice, language lesson, orchestra concert, and school project, and not only strive to be one of the best but to be the best. There are plenty of times where I don’t feel stressed by expectations in life, but as I became a middle schooler, a teenager, and even a high school student, I became more accustomed to the ever-increasing pressure, yet I always knew I could handle it and rise to the challenge. But all worry is left behind when I begin to roll along on those four wheels.

When I’m on my skateboard, whether I’m flying downhill at thirty miles an hour or going through a puddle at three, my mind is anywhere but these expectations. For a brief, fleeting few moments of pure glee and a huge grin on my face, there's no future to worry about. No college applications, senior year of high school, or last year of running. It all fades. All is forgotten, and the only thing I can do is to wake up, live in the moment, see the view as if it were my last, and be in awe at everything I’m taking in.

The blissfulness of the experience allows for the perfect environment to reflect. Nowadays I don’t spend nearly as much time as I used to fixated on the future as I do now pondering the past. I think about missed opportunities and experiences, like a full year of my teenage years wasted, alone and in isolation. This private reflection in the back of my mind highlights to me the most important part of your life — your connections with your loved ones and the people who are most important around you.

These relationships are what made me who I am today. My mom, the single parent of humble beginnings, doing her best, working her hardest, and expecting nothing in return but the best from me inspires me to be as wise as she is. My big brother motivates me to be as successful and knowledgeable as he is and has grown to be. I’m thankful for the time we spent with each other, and the unforgettable memories we made. This independent reflection has taught me nothing but to cherish moments with your friends and family, for these moments are as brief and fleeting as how fast the concrete and asphalt now fly by underneath my feet.

But then the lingering thought finally moves on, and I’m no longer reminiscing about the past. Then it's back to enjoying the view and the wind on my face. Just me, the road, and my skateboard.