I’ve always been an unbelievably aggressive fan of outer space. Space has very quickly become a core piece of my personality, and my friends and family know well that when it comes to space, I take things very seriously. But in my eyes, the intergalactic world is more than just a cool aesthetic (although it is a very cool one to have), or an appealing poster on a wall.

Space makes the planet we live on seem infinitely larger. This may seem counterintuitive, taking into consideration that even attempting to fathom the size of the universe gives me a headache. However, in my eyes, outer space puts into perspective the diversity and vastness of our own little seemingly insignificant Earth. I am a firm believer in aliens, but how did we get so lucky as to have somehow inherited the only habitable planet within any foreseeable distance from us?

The consideration of outer space as a whole often leaves people with a sense of weakness. The universes unpredictability makes us feel infinitely more vulnerable and more out of control. On the other hand, I ask you to consider the power we hold in the universe. Consider the technological advances made by NASA every single day, and consider how much more we have to learn. The universe has somehow aligned to give Earth a position of incredible power in our solar system, if not the Milky Way Galaxy or the Universe as a whole.

Space is also incredibly therapeutic. When one thinks about things on a scale as vast as the scale of outer space, all of our problems very quickly begin to feel insignificant. I am a believer in every single human’s significance in the universe, but our problems begin to feel minor when we start to think about how the light from every star we see in the night sky could be millions of years old.

Thinking about the Universe makes a lot, maybe even a majority, of people anxious and in some cases even terrified. There is so much about space that remains unknown to us, and we have so much left to learn. There are questions that may remain unanswered, and problems we may never solve. Is there anyone else out there? If this whole “Earth” thing doesn’t work out, can we make other planets sustainable for human life? What the heck is The String Theory? But to me this constant string (no pun intended) or questions opens a door of endless possibility. We will never know everything there is to know about the universe. But isn’t it the mystery that makes it so fascinating?

I choose to operate under the school of thought that if we can, somehow, make another planet sustainable for human life, why can’t we make Earth sustainable once more? Don’t get me wrong, the idea of space travel excites me as much as it does the next girl, but the Universe has also made me come to appreciate Earth so much more.