Mara watches the early winter snowfall against the window in tiny little stars. While the wind blows through the cracks she still chooses to sit in her usual booth seat in the Cool Bean Café.

She tugs her sleeves around her hands as she grabs her cup of coffee and takes a slow sip.

"Hey M! Sorry I'm late," Casey, her best friend, said in a rushed breath.

Mara provides a smile, "It's okay Casey, I know you were in class," she said.

Casey pursed her lips at Mara, "But you said something was on your mind," she noted, "What's up?"

Mara glanced at the snow falling, the words from her professor still echoed in her head "What are you passionate about?" It was something that left her mind blank. It's not the kind of question like, What do you want to be when you grow up? It's passion and Mara always thought of passion as a feeling. So she had to wonder, what was she missing?

"Casey, what are you passionate about?" Mara questioned.

Casey laughed softly, "Pick my brain why don't you," she joked, "is your professor messing with your head again?" She answered.

Mara gave her a serious look and Casey caved, "Honestly, M I am passionate about food." she finally answered, "You know that is the whole reason I want to be a nutritionist."

Mara's heart fell straight to her feet, "I know…" she said, "But is that something that makes you want to wake up the next day? Is that something that fuels your entire life?"

She knew she was asking these questions because she had no idea. Her mind was again left completely blank.

But Casey shook her head, "Mara passion is not something woodcut or the same for everyone. What exactly are you looking for, M?"

She was right, it wasn't woodcut. Mara exhaled, what was she looking for? Everyone in the class had such simple answers like helping people or traveling across the seven seas. Mara thought those were very plain answers. She believed that the world was not as plain as a career or self-sufficient. It couldn't be.

"Do you think a basketball player is passionate about the game?" Mara thought out loud, "Do you imagine a nurse is passionate about wearing scrubs every day? Do you think students are passionate about learning? Do you think waiters are passionate about providing great customer service? Casey I just don't believe that… how can someone's passion fit on a piece of paper?"

"Mara, you know how much I admire you." Casey exhaled, "Seriously the way your mind works like that is amazing but passions are random. Don't make it your mission to have everything figured out."

Mara sat back into her seat "That's not at all what I am trying to do," she admitted "Everyone has it all figured out, I just can't understand why I don't? I've always understood passion as something you feel."

Casey sighed "Well what makes you feel passionate?" she questioned, "It doesn't have to be this big life-changing thing."

Passions do not have to be life-changing, Mara's thoughts echoed.

Mara's eyes traveled to the window and noticed the snow was still falling against the glass. She grabbed her coffee and took a long sip that warmed her body. It was the kind of comfort that she found small and even simple. It was enough that she would not mind doing it every day.

What if passion could be as small as a moment like that?

It could be a small moment in a cafe, on a Tuesday morning between lectures. While drinking coffee and watching the falling snow create stars on window panes.

Whatever your passion is, wherever you discover and experience it, it is your passion, passion is not something woodcut or the same for everyone. One of my passions is writing and I am excited to embrace my creativity and passion for writing on the Odyssey this year.