To suggest that I enjoy writing would be the greatest understatement a person could make. Writing, to me, is much more than a hobby or something to enjoy. It's a part of me, as vital to my life as breathing is. Believe it or not, just as I'm always breathing, I'm also always writing - but not in the way you might think. I write by observing. Writers perceive the world around us differently than everyone else without even realizing it. We see the world through a writer's eyes, and you might not think that changes much, but in reality, it changes everything about how I go about my day-to-day life.

About a year ago, for instance, I took a trip to the Bayside Marketplace in Miami. I still remember the experience vividly, but not because anything particularly memorable took place. Rather than recalling that day as a series of images, I remember it as the words I saw in my mind's eye as I took in my surroundings. Every sight, every sound, every detail. Now, all I have to do is write those words down, and suddenly it's as if I'm there again.

Crystalline waters shimmering with lights reflected from above. Buildings seemingly brought to life by multicolored spotlights and illuminating an otherwise darkened cityscape. An almost impossibly tall one towering above the rest, camouflaged against the cloudy night sky save for a smattering of windows that glow pale gold like stars. The flashing blue and red of a police car passing by on a busy street, the contrasting colors reflecting in my eyes as I watch the car rush past. The uplifting ambiance of a band playing an old rock song as an ever-growing crowd bobs to the thundering beat. Smiles on the faces of the people around me, inspiring me to follow suit with my own equally contented smile that shines as brightly as the moon above.

In reality, this moment was fairly standard to live out in person. But when written down, at least to me, it feels like something special. This is what I mean when I say that I see the world through a writer's eyes. Anyone can observe the world around us, but it takes a writer to interpret these observations into the written word. As a writer, even the most inane and insignificant of occurrences become a thing of beauty in my eyes because I am able to find the words that epitomize them. By writing it down the way I perceive it, I can turn a typical Miami night into a picturesque scene I won't soon forget.

I enjoy writing, sure, but my attachment to it runs deeper than that. Writing defines the way I experience things and transforms them into something I can share with people in an impactful way. Even if you're not a writer at heart, I recommend that you try observing your surroundings through a writer's lens. It can help you see the world in a different light. When you're walking to class, take the time to focus on the words you would use to describe what you see rather than just what you actually see. You might notice that the dew-soaked grass resembles a field of sparkling emeralds, for example. The right words have the power to transform the presumably mundane into the extraordinary. That's why I write: to present to others the world as I perceive it so that they, too, can see the beauty in it.