Just last week, Señora Grigorian asked my class what we liked to do in our free time. Almost instantaneously, everyone’s hands shot up, except for mine of course. I just sat there and listened to each student tell of how they loved to do a wide variety of extremely unique and challenging things. Things like drawing, painting, playing a myriad of instruments, baking and running cool clubs.

My mind raced, searching for something to share. My first thought was that I play volleyball but I discarded that thought. I don’t play volleyball anymore, my season is over. So what do I do? It became glaringly obvious to me at that moment that I no longer had a hobby. Suddenly I felt empty. I desperately needed to find a hobby and binge watching the entire How I Met Your Mother series for the third time on Netflix would no longer suffice.

My search continued as the day went on. This question stuck in my head, I could not shake it. I had always identified myself as a volleyball player but that was no longer an option. My days on the court were over and it was time to turn the page. I began to think of all of the things my friends did outside of school, wondering if I could possibly follow suit. However, my options were limited because I cannot draw, I am musically challenged and I hate baking. I was back at square one.

So here I am, sitting at my computer, typing this up and it has finally occurred to me what I should do. It’s literally right in front of me. I should write. But not for other people, or for teachers or for colleges, I need to write because it’s the only medium in which I know how to collect my thoughts.

This is almost a letter to myself. It is a contract that from here on out I need to continue writing. I no longer have the excuse of being busy all of the time. I have nothing but time on my hands, so now I must use it. Wasting my days on Netflix and Tumblr are not accept able anymore. I am at a point in my life where I need to capitalize on the time that I am not stressed out about doing my homework and studying for tests at the last minute and actually productively work on something meaningful.

I figured this would be a good place to start.