We live in a crazy world; there's no doubt about that. Regardless of your political, religious, social, economic, overall views, we can all agree that the world is, always has been, and always shall be, crazy. No matter who you are, what you do, where you are, where you come from, where you're going: crazy. Get it? Okay. The world is crazy. Period.

My usual shpeal is to do some "listicle" bit on something that's relevant in my life, and in most cases, the lives of those around me, at the current moment. This time, I'm just going to write and see what happens. You know why? Because I just need to breathe.

I have reached a point in my college life where I feel like I could possibly be taking on too much. Maybe my classes have more work than last semester. Maybe I'm feeling the pressure of applying for internships. Maintaining grades, doing extracurriculars, stepping into roles in essentially professional organizations; sure, it's all great. It's fun in the moment. I absolutely love doing it all. The work, commitments, obligations, and standards all eventually add up. And for reference, I'm a freshman. So, who knows what's in store for me in years to come when I really start to advance myself.

And, no, I'm not whining. I've just been told by at least 7 people this week that I need to take a breather. That I need 5 other versions of me to do everything I want to do without the stress. That they've always thought they were the busiest person they knew until they met me. I'm not whining. Frankly, I enjoy being busy. I enjoy having things for me to do. I'd rather have the feeling of accomplishment than the feeling of complete and utter relaxation. That is mainly because I would most likely feel like I'm forgetting to do something if I'm relaxed.

This article is not an article, but more of a journal entry. I need to talk one on one right now with not much thought required. Right now, this is my breath. The only time I've been able to breathe all week, I write as I eat a handful of chocolate covered espresso beans to keep me going for the next task at hand. The only thing that has run through my mind all semester is "It will be worth it", and it already has begun to pay off. Slowly and surely, I know that the amount I take on right now will only benefit me in the long run. That's why I do it. I just forget to breathe. I'm pretty sure that's why I have a habit of talking quickly; just for time's sake.

So if you're reading this, take a break. Go read a book, sit outside, make some tea, pet a dog, appreciate what's around you. Go do something fun and different with friends. Do something, go somewhere that will get your mind off things. It doesn't have to be now, but if you have two minutes, go and block out a day to just breathe. We can all keep going and going so fast that we forget to stop until we realized how much of our lives we've missed because it has been taken over by work. Make sure you have the time to do both.

I tried to catch your attention with a rather serene photo of the Atlantic Ocean from Montauk Point right before sunrise. This is a photo from a time when I actually had time to breathe and get up at inhumane hours of the early morning just to catch a sunrise. It was worth it, seeing that cotton candy sky. Go do yourself a favor, stare at that photo, and breathe. Imagine you're there. I swear it works.

The world is crazy. Set some time aside to appreciate it.

I need to start taking my own advice.