My Escape From It All

Sometimes everything gets overwhelming. You may not go through as many things as others or as little as some but that doesn’t mean we all don’t have a breaking point. When this occurs, having a place to go to escape from it all is nice. However, sometimes the place where we escape from it all is in our imaginations.

If I could escape from it all, I would go to Italy. I have always wanted to go to Europe, but specifically Italy. It is such a beautiful place with a beautiful culture. The food is amazing and I think an Italian accent is incredible. It is like listening to your favorite person in the world speak. I think another reason Italy is special is because of my friend. We have this plan that we are going to both go into the medical field for a few years or at least until we have enough money. Then we plan to move to Italy and start a coffee shop. However, this is no ordinary coffee shop, we are going to live upstairs in the coffee shop like you see on TV. There’s going to be a whole separate level in the building that we are going to turn into our home. Then we will run this coffee shop until we get too old. Maybe we will only run the coffee shop until we get bored and then go do something else or branch out coffee shop into different locations. My friend and I have the same style and aesthetic so hopefully those similarities in lifestyle choices will continue into our adult years. Unfortunately, this idea and plan only lives in my mind and continues to grow each time I think about it. I enjoy thinking about if this escape will become a reality or not. I find myself in my imaginative escape from it all quite often. That is okay. Having a safe place inside your mind, the place that makes me feel not so great, is normal and encouraged. I had to learn to create this dream world by myself because each person is different. Something that works for me and helps me cope is not going to be the same for my friends. It is okay to feel the way you do and never think otherwise. Your escape doesn’t have to include anyone or be as elaborate as mine. It can be your bedroom. Sometimes it is my bedroom but other times the last place I want to be is my bedroom. Another escape is going to talk to my mom. She always distracts me or makes me laugh. Your escape can also be a person. Whether is be a parent, friend, significant other, or your pet, anything that will help you and make you feel comfortable is good. My escape can also be an object. I like to read because it allows me to involve myself into someone else’s life and thoughts. My mind is preoccupied with painting a picture in my head of scenes in the book including landscape, a home, a bedroom, the way someone looks, or the town they live in. The great thing about books is you have control of what things look like. Sometimes it helps me to feel in control again if I read.

What is your escape? It can be a physical place, an imaginary place, a person, animal, or object. It can be whatever you want it to be. You’re here for a good time, not a long time, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Sometimes I need to take my own advice but it’s hard and I understand that.