A List: The Best and Worst Experiences in the World

I've decided to do something different for my last blog post, so here's a list of the best and worst things I've experienced.

The Worst Experiences:

Not knowing the first question on a test

• Every once in a while, you take a test where the first question stumps you (doesn't have to be the first question but one of the first few). It feels absolutely awful. I get a bad feeling deep in my stomach and all I can think is: "Oh sh*t." I usually don't leave the test feeling particularly happy.

Being limited by injury or sickness

• I hate being injured or sick (unless I get to skip a test, then yes please). Let's be real, who enjoys being injured or sick? Those conditions limit what you can do by so much. When I'm injured, I can't play sports that I love doing. I'm deprived of activities that (sometimes) are the only things I look forward to. Being sick is just the worst. You can't exercise and if you do, the rest of the day is looking pretty painful. You can't do anything else either. All you can do is sleep (which isn't bad, but after a few days it gets pretty boring).  

Missing an opportunity/Losing something by a small margin

• This experience is pretty general and something we have all gone through. It's the feeling of losing a game by one point. It's the feeling of getting a grade one percent below the score you wanted. It's the feeling of being so close yet so far from your goal. Granted, it's not the end of the world. The feeling, however, is still there and it feels terrible. 

Breaking/Losing a possession

• We all know how this feels. Even if the item isn't one of your favorite possessions, you still feel some guilt and sadness if it breaks or gets lost. Although it's quite easy to move on from the loss, in the moment the emotion of worry and thought of "Oh noooooo. What do I do?" are quite powerful. 

Watching your letter to Santa used to fuel the fireplace

• This is quite a specific one. There's always been a reason why I've never believed in Santa Claus. I remember writing a long, well-formatted letter to Santa listing the many gifts that I wanted. When I say well-formatted, I mean well-formatted. I had a nice title. My handwriting was excellent. I even provided boxes next to each present so Santa could check off each gift as he made them. After waiting a few days, I couldn't believe it when I woke up on Christmas Day without any gifts. Confused, I spent the whole day pondering why Santa didn't give me what I wanted. My questions were answered that night when I saw my letter slowly burning in our fireplace. It was quite a traumatic experience. It was also the last time I left milk and cookies for Santa. 

The Best Experiences:

Acing/Getting a good grade on a test you didn't study for

• I'm sure most of us have winged a test before. I definitely have. There's a certain strategy to winging tests though. You simply can't wing your Calculus unit test because we all know that you'll be in for a great time (unless you're a genius). For a physics quiz, however, sure. Especially if you've taken the time to calculate that even if you fail this quiz, your grade should be fine. Then you have the option to wing it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't study. I'm just saying nothing can really replicate that sly feeling of getting a good grade with minimal effort. 

Scoring a (nice) goal/basket/point in a sport

• There's nothing more satisfying than watching a soccer ball sail into the top corner of the goal or hearing a basketball fall perfectly through the net, creating that perfect swish sound. There's also nothing that feels cooler than making a great play which results in a point. 

Getting things done/Having a productive day

• This may just be me, but I get a huge feeling of pride if I've completed something. Especially after a long day of checking off multiple to-do tasks, nothing can beat that feeling of: "Wow, I actually did something with my life today." Those days provide me with hope for a somewhat successful future. 

Laying down and hibernating in a nice and comfortable bed after a long day

• This feeling is similar to the previous. After a long day of strenuous work of testing, competing, or working, it always feels great to just sink into your bed and just think: "Yeah, I definitely deserve this." The feeling of being able to relax and having the stress eased off your body and mind is one very few things can create. 

Traveling (especially with friends)

• I've enjoyed traveling my whole life. The German Trip is in my top three favorite life moments. I don't really know why, but every time I take public transportation, I feel like an adult (which is a good feeling). I also fall asleep constantly on public transportation, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, I'll use the German example on why traveling feels so good. First off, you get to see such beautiful sights. There's nothing like being able to see hundreds of miles in every direction on a mountain, especially when you're from the cornfields of Illinois. Traveling by yourself is a great experience, but traveling with friends makes the whole journey much more enjoyable. Nothing beats chilling on the hotel balcony after curfew, playing card games for hours on end, getting lost in a foreign city, struggling to get a waiter's attention, giving the waiter a 50% tip on accident, and bringing only bread to a picnic on the false assumption that everyone would share (hungriest I've ever been).