Where I'm from, gas prices have been hanging around $3.05 per gallon for the past few weeks. In these same past few weeks, I have felt a large amount of stress, mainly surrounding the imminent change that I, along with many other high school seniors around the world, are facing. College.
Throughout all of high school, I have heard the phrase "I can't wait to get out of here" exclaimed so many times that I, too, believed the falsehood that where I lived was a wretched place. I could never exactly pinpoint why people had such negative thoughts of their hometown. I asked a few people what stressed them on a daily basis and got an array of answers. Whether it be money, friends, school, time management, remembering to take medicines or simply the future, every answer had one thing in common- it had nothing to do with our hometown, but rather the people in it.
They didn't hate the rolling valleys, they hated the words rolling off of the tongues of others that made them feel pressured to be an altered version of themselves. They didn't fear the pink sunsets, but the pink shade their faces would turn in embarrassment over a test or their card being declined at a local restaurant. They didn't hate the nature of the town, which is why they need to get lost in it.
It wasn't until one night, after a stressful day that I finally realized how beautiful it is where I live and how calming and relaxing it is to take a cruise with the windows down. Once you hit the road and feel the cool breeze against your face, you'll realize the healing powers of a tank of gas. There is no feeling that beats watching God do his work with the colors of the sky combined with the cool breeze and your favorite country song. Once you shift into gear, your troubles are nothing but the dust behind you.
Going down one road could lead you anywhere your heart and mind desire. Whether you be in high school, college, or already on a path to your career, it is inevitable for you to not deal with stressful situations. As long as you are in the driver's seat, mentally (and physically) you can help yourself rid your mind of stress and arrive at whatever destination that you please. So, instead of paying an outrageous amount of money for a therapy session, fill up your tank and hit the road.