I've always enjoyed writing, ever since I was little. As a kid, I would write short stories and poems for my friends and family. I wrote notes in colorful ink for birthday cards and other special occasions. At one point I even had a diary that was filled with all my most dramatic and insignificant pubescence thoughts. As I got older, my writing became more serious. I took AP English classes in high school that required me to write responses to thought-provoking prompts in 30 minutes or less. I read classic works of literature that inspired both the way I spoke and wrote. I began to write short entries and poems in a journal, which I still occasionally write in when the inspiration strikes.

Writing has always been a way for me to express what I am feeling. No matter how long it takes, I can erase and rewrite my thoughts until they make sense to what I am really feeling. Sometimes it is only through written word that I feel I am able to truly express myself, to let out all my thoughts and feelings without holding back. However, when I am unable to write — stuck on a thought, or struggling to express myself — there is no greater aggravation. Writer's block is quite the curse.

Writing is a primary skill that is used in various fields of work: police officers write reports on incidents, teachers write up lesson plans, broadcast, and radio journalists more often than not still need to write up their own scripts and reports. The point is: words and how you say them matter, no matter what you do in life. Writing is just a way of taking your words and giving more thought to them before expressing them out loud.

Today, writing is a huge part of my life. I have decided (at least for now) to work towards a career in journalism. I have taken various writing courses and am an editor for my college newspaper. I just completed an internship with an established news publication, and now I write for Odyssey as well. I also still write in my journal from time to time. Whether it be a poem, short story, my version of an event that took place, or just a creative writing entry, writing is what keeps me sane. If I didn’t have the ability to write, I truly believe I would be a completely different person. When I write about a topic I am particularly passionate about, I put my heart, soul and entire being into it, so much so that I become my writing.