I have played sports since I was old enough to walk, but things have changed since I began going to college. At the end of my high school career I had two options: do I pursue a few more years of college soccer at a smaller university, or do I embrace my academics and go to the big university I've always seen in my future? There really was no debate about it; I was going to go to a big school for the academics. But that meant that I'd be passing up the opportunity to compete in my passion for four more years.

Now instead of going to practice every day with my high school team and then continuing my practice regiment year-round with my club team, I play intramural soccer at the collegiate level. The only problem with that is that at my university, intramural soccer only lasts about a month and a half in the spring semester and then again in the fall semester, with just one game a week. Now I could talk about how much I miss playing soccer, and about how ten competitive games a year just doesn't cut it for me, but that's a topic for a different day. Instead, I want to talk about staying active and staying in shape.

My first semester of college was the first time in my life that I hadn't played organized sports. The same stands true for many other college students. The impact it had on me was something I had not anticipated. I assumed that playing intramural sports would scratch that inevitable itch and I would have more free time for other things, like stress and schoolwork, but it took me a while to realize that I was missing something very important by not playing soccer: I wasn't exercising.

I spent the summer after my senior year of high school working a minimum wage job. In the time that I wasn't spending doing other assorted post-graduation activities, I was going to the gym. In a subconscious way, I was filling my exercise void. I continued that good habit into the first month or so of college. After that first month or so passed, I decided it would be a good idea to replace my daily trips to the gym with daily servings of fried chicken and milkshakes, something my metabolism could usually handle. After that semester, I realized it was time to keep an eye on what I was eating to ensure I was getting proper nutrients.

But still, I felt like I was missing something. After another hard semester and a summer of work, I began exercising once again. I had found the key to the lethargic door, and I was more than ready to let the energetic Jacob back in. The problem was that I no longer had a team, an outside force that motivated me to get moving and get to practice. Now that I'm by myself, I had to rely on intrinsic motivation to make a difference for myself. Not only that, but I also needed to find a new activity that fulfilled my exercise quota that I had the same level of passion for that I've always had for soccer. My journey of fitness experimentation lasted for several months. Unable to find anything truly meaningful, I thought I was destined to continue rotating through disciplines and relying on the nuance to get me in shape. That is until I studied in Denmark.

Life-changing cultural experiences and unbelievable adventures aside, my time in a new country helped me find my new passion for exercise, and I think it's going to be around for a while. In a country with brutal winters and typically rainy summers, cycling remains the preferred method for transportation for the Danes. Bike lanes exist throughout the country and cyclists are treated safely and fairly. Given this, I decided to give biking a shot. It was cheaper than public transportation, and it was the way of the people I'd be living amongst for the next half of the year, so why not. In all honesty, the first couple of weeks were filled with regret for my new purchase; my commute to school was more than 10 miles roundtrip, and the weather was making it miserable. In addition to that, I was constantly being passed along the roads by the more experienced locals, and I was finding myself quickly out of breath. But after some time and some improvement in the weather, I began to look forward to my commute.

Moreover, I began to love biking. I would bike everyday and everywhere. In the times that my bike needed repairs or I was traveling and unable to use it, I sorely missed it. The culture, the scenery, the freedom, the ease of use; I missed it all. Unknowingly, I also missed the physical aspect. When I returned home, high on my list of things to do was to get my bicycle tuned up. Since then, my cycling has transformed from a form of transportation to a form of exercise. Now, just as I looked forward to biking despite the cold in Copenhagen, I look forward to biking in the heat in Maryland. The rolling country hills provide some new scenery for me to enjoy while I work on my newest way to stay in shape. And I think this one is here to stay.