My Outer Space @myouterspace2305 - Tumblr Blog

Outer Space #10 (based partly on prompt 5)

Earlier on in the semester when I was looking through the various outer space prompts, I came across number five which discussed Anne Lamott and one of her pieces of advice regarding life and learning. In her book “Bird by Bird,” Anne Lamott says writing and learning becomes easier when we realize we are only responsible for what happens in a tiny one-inch window. This helps us stay focused and work on what’s most important. Throughout the remainder of the semester, I tried to think of things in this way and see things through a smaller focal point. I looked at many situations through my own own-inch spaces and it genuinely improved how I think about things in both life and school. Just yesterday I decided to write about one of my one-inch space experiences, so I sat at a table in the breezeway at Weimer Hall and focused on the area in front of me where people come up and down the stairs.

I sat here for about 15 minutes and was so surprised at how much happened in that one tiny spot during such a short amount of time. I saw kids getting out of their class, rushing to the next one or relieved that their day was now over. I saw professors going back up the stairs to their offices, stopping to chat with co-workers, and two even stopping to take their lunch break at the bottom of the steps. I saw people I knew, a couple who waved my way as they passed, and people I’d recognized from classes but didn’t know their name. I love Weimer Hall because it’s covered, but it’s still outside--and the roof is like one giant sunroof. This staircase was in the perfect position to catch a few rays of light shining down and put a spotlight on everyone who was on it for just a second.

In my one inch window, I also saw a girl with the cutest black lab service dog I’d ever seen and it instantly gave me the worst case of puppy fever (ha). There were a few minutes towards the end of me sitting there that were very quiet and still because the class change had just ended. It was odd to see a place that just had hundreds of people running through it essentially completely empty. I am in and out of Weimer Hall nearly every day of the week for classes, clubs and group meetings, yet it’s amazing how much more I noticed just from focusing on that one staircase for a few minutes.

Anne Lamott makes a fantastic point and has created a way of thinking I feel that everyone should utilize at times where they are having trouble focusing or finding inspiration. When I came across this prompt in the outer space assignment list, I immediately was interested in trying it. The idea of taking such large things and narrowing them to just a small window is so interesting to me, and it’s something I’ve tried to incorporate into my way of thinking this semester.

#os2305

Outer Space #9, Prompt 10

I’m not 100% sure how to interpret the term “in-between spaces,” but I’m going to give it a shot. To me, the in-betweens are the spaces we don’t think about quite as much. They aren’t the main, obvious spaces, but they still play a large role in our experiences. In my life, three in-between spaces are my car, the walk to class, and a good book. All three of these spaces I spend a lot of time in, even though I don’t always think about it. These spaces are all means of transitioning, and they are all spaces that have a big impact on my daily life.

1. My Car

I spend so much time in my car. I love my car and I love driving. I think it’s because I feel like it’s a space I can sing and dance and feel free to go wherever I want, but it’s also a means of getting me from place to place. It’s where I spend my time in between going to two different places. It’s where my friends and I have spent times on road trips and I have a lot of memories that involve using my car to get there. It’s a space I often forget when people ask me my favorite places, but it’s certainly at the top of my list.

2. My Walk to Class

Over my four years at UF, I have only driven to class a handful of times. Freshman year I lived on campus, and ever since then I have lived barely off campus. With the few exceptions where I rode the bus, I have always walked and it’s been one of the little things I love that I often forget about. Despite the weather being so unbearably hot some days, or so stormy, the walk to campus is something I’ll miss. Even though the path I take is typically similar, what I see is always different and a new experience. I love walking and talking with friends, observing all the other students, listening to music, etc. I love this campus and am starting to fully appreciate how nice it is to be able to walk to it from home. The daily walks I’ve had to and from class represent my literal transition from home to class, but also represent my time here over the last four years at UF.

3. A Good Book

It sounds cliche to say you can get lost in a great book, but it genuinely is true. I’ve been a big fan of reading novels since I was little and it has certainly carried over into my college life. Although I don’t get as much time to read for pleasure anymore, anytime I do I am instantly reminded why I love it. When I find a book that I can really get into, my mind completely goes to another place. I feel like I’m there with the characters, I picture the settings, etc. Obviously, the actual place I’m in is my bedroom or my living room or another quiet place, but in my mind I am taken to a different space. To me, this constitutes an in-between space because it’s a transition between reality and imaginary that you can only get from a few things...a great book being one of them.

#os2305

Outer Space #8, Prompt 11

I’m not sure if there is a completely “perfect-for-me” space, but I can imagine something pretty close. When I think of my ideal place, I think of somewhere that I can be in a fully-serene and free state of mind. Somewhere that completely erases any stresses, worries or feelings of anxiety. It would be a space that is surrounded by nature all around, with all different kinds of landscapes accessible nearby--mountains, ocean, sand, huge towering trees, beds of bright flowers, etc. I would want to be able to experience all of those things at once and take in the smells and the sights of them. I’d want to be able to explore it all during the day, have a perfect view of the sunset in the evening, then have it serve as a quiet, dark place at night where I can see the sky and the stars without light pollution.

However, I also wouldn’t mind having a big city just enough out of reach that I could visit anytime I wanted. Something more fast paced that is full of people and has an endless variety of food, drinks, coffee and excitement. A little bit of that and I’d never take for granted my place in nature just outside of the city.

I’d want my ideal place to never get above 80 degrees even on the brightest days. 75 is the perfect temp, with a light breeze and a low level of humidity. But it doesn’t have to always be sunny--thunderstorms and rain are some of my favorite things to sit and enjoy. They also make the nature around you seem so much brighter and full of life.

I’d want my space to include a house at a point of higher elevation, with lots of windows and places to let the light in and see out over the beautiful landscape below. I don’t want a huge house, and I don’t need many material things, but a space large enough to comfortably hold myself and a family, as well as space for any of my friends who want to come visit would be ideal. I’d have two dogs, one smaller and one bigger, like a golden retriever or a german shepherd.

I love people, but I love spending time by myself and exploring on my own as well. I’d want my space to perfectly encompass that and provide me with the simple things that make me comfortable and make me happy. I am a lover of most things nature and always have been--so a large part of my perfect space would have to revolve around that.

#os2305

Outer Space #7, Prompt 13

Throughout the course of a day, each of us experiences so many different spaces...more than we often think about. Physical spaces, digital spaces, mental spaces, etc. It’s interesting when you become conscious of all the places you experience in a day and recognize how they make you feel, what you do there and how it impacts the rest of your day.

Today I began my day where I always do. The most comfortable, warm place in existence where I never ever want to leave when it’s time to wake up. The space that has grown to become my home away from home. From this space, I reluctantly get up and travel about 20 steps to another space that makes me happy--the place where I make delicious food to fuel myself for the first part of the day.

Moving on, I venture outside for about a 15 minute walk. Today is a perfect spring day--sunny, about 75 degrees and a light breeze. Sometimes this walk I dread...when it’s rainy or when it’s 100 and I’m sweating through my clothes. But today I wish I didn’t have to go back inside. After the walk, I arrive in the space where I learn. Here, I often enter a digital space--whether from researching or from zoning out and distracting myself from the rest of the physical space around me. I write, I listen, I observe and I think here. Sometimes I love this space and sometimes I come focused and attentive. But today I’m tired, distracted and not fully present.

Next, I find myself in a space that I spend far too much time in, but a space that I love and feel comfortable in. A place surrounded by people all there for different reasons, all living their lives so separately but for a moment we all exist here together. I always order the same thing and try and sit at the same small table in the corner facing the window. I often sit in this space for hours, whether I’m studying, writing, socializing or simply just reflecting. This space isn’t serene or quiet by any means, but it’s a comfort zone for me.

As I’m reaching the end of the day, I find myself entering digital spaces more. As I wind down I catch up on things I’ve missed, or chat with friends. I transition into a different headspace than I’ve been in most of the day. This space is calm, relaxed, peaceful and free. It is the space I always try to go at the end of the day before I crawl back into my comfortable space I started the day in and rest to get ready for the next day of spaces ahead.

#os2305

Outer Space #6, Prompt 12

I definitely believe that digital spaces exist, especially in today’s world where we have access to so many new technologies at our fingertips. In some ways, I feel that digital spaces can be even better than physical spaces because they allow us to temporarily escape without really having to change locations.

Digital spaces, in my opinion, are spaces that we go to through some kind of technological device, whether it be on a computer screen, on a movie screen, through a song, or other multimedia platforms. When we are in a digital space, our experience there hinges on our mindset.

Many people say that nowadays we spend too much time on our devices, staring at screens and communicating with others through barriers. This may be the case, but that doesn’t mean that these devices can’t also enhance our minds through digital spaces. There are physical spaces like books and nature that can take you completely to another headspace. But there are digital spaces that can do that as well, if not better. Two of my favorite forms of digital space are film and music. When I watch a movie, I am temporarily living in another world. I like to put myself in the shoes and the minds of the characters, live in their world, etc. Physically I am obviously not able to do that, but through movies and TV we have the ability to transport elsewhere through digital visuals. With music, we have the ability to transport elsewhere through digital sound.

Learning comes in different forms and styles, and some work better for certain people than others. Physical spaces allow us to stay grounded, to actually feel the differences of certain places and to see them for ourselves. Digital spaces are more for allowing us to imagine, to create and infer as individuals, and to escape for brief moments into a place that may or may not be illustrative of actual reality.

#os2305

Outer Space #5, Prompt 4

Last weekend I made a quick trip to one of my favorite cities--Boston. Being a huge Patriots fan, I wanted to be there for the big game and see the city (hopefully) go crazy for a Pats Super Bowl win. Luckily, that happened...but I also got to spend a good amount of time wandering around and exploring the city.

Despite the freezing cold winters, Boston is one of the only true big cities I could ever picture myself living in. Though a city, it doesn’t have the same ‘concrete jungle’ feel as NYC or LA. Most of midtown and downtown Boston you can cover on foot in just a few hours. It’s clean, it’s open, it’s quieter. It has so much character and that’s what I love the most about it. Amidst all the skyscrapers, apartments and concrete, however, is my favorite place of all--the Boston Common. This is one area of the city that has been infiltrated by the natural world, and it lies right smack dab in the middle of the craziness.

Boston Common, much like Central Park is to New York, is one of the few green areas in the city. It has a stillness and a calmness about it that makes you feel like you can’t possibly be just a few yards away from the busy streets of downtown. It’s insane how quiet it is there and how peaceful it is to stroll through the park or just sit down on a bench and listen. Coming from a beach town, I was always used to being surrounded by so much nature. That’s why I told myself I would never move to a city. But the Common provides so much nature in a different way than I’m used to.

Every time I go to Boston, I make sure I spend at least a couple hours walking around, reading or just sitting having coffee at the park. This last time I was here, the snow from a couple days before was melting and it was one of the clearest, bluest days I had ever seen. But I didn’t even realize how nice of a day it was until I got to the Common. Surrounded by the structures and the chaos, it’s hard to look up and feel the space around you. Everything is touch and go and you go with the flow of the people. But when you get to the Common everything slows down and you get a chance to really take in your surroundings. It’s amazing how just a little bit of the natural world in the middle of a concrete city can brighten your day, clear your mind and relax you. The mood and the feeling in the Common is so much more calm and peaceful, and that’s evident in every other person you see in the park too. Everybody needs those places they go to in order to reflect, find some quiet or just exist without stress and chaos. When I’m in Boston, it’s always the Common for me--and I imagine it is for thousands of others as well.

Here are some pictures I took in the Common last week:

#os2305

Outer Space #4, Prompt 8

It’s a Monday afternoon and the clock has just hit 3 p.m. I’m sitting in the corner of a crowded Starbucks surrounded by 20+ other students who seem to have procrastinated doing their schoolwork over the weekend (just like me). I come and study in this Starbucks multiple times every week, and every week the details create a different experience.

As I’m typing this, I’m listening to an old school 90′s Pop/R&B playlist on Spotify through my headphones. When I have assignments like this that aren’t so technical and serious, I like to listen to all kinds of weird stuff to try and spark some creativity and get my brain going. For the sake of really taking in the sounds of the place I’m in, I pause an Usher track from 1999 and open my ears.

People often ask why I choose to do a lot of my schoolwork here, in a place that’s nearly always crowded and consumed with noise. I don’t know if it’s the constant white noise that keeps me alert and working or the visual of watching other people focused on their work, but something about it has always worked better for me than the silent eeriness of the library.

I unplug my headphones and these are some of the things I hear:

-Lana Del Rey “Young and Beautiful” playing in the background throughout the shop

-A man next to me taking a business call about some sort of inventory count

-A girl at the register ordering a venti caramel iced coffee with a Splenda

-The beeping and buzzing of the coffee grinder and the timer on the oven going off signaling a sandwich is ready to be served

-A conversation behind me between two girls about economics class and their upcoming exam ( “I haven't even gotten the textbook yet so I’m kind of freaking out about this” )

-A conversation next to me between two friends and what they did on Saturday night (they ate chocolate cake somewhere, I’m jealous)

-The pulling out and pushing in of chairs as people leave their study bubbles

-The scuffle of feet and the gust of air as the door opens and closes

-The banging of the keyboard from the kid next to me as he frantically tries to finish an assignment on Canvas

-Phones ringing and dinging

-Lots of other stuff, I don’t even know

Every single second there are new noises, but so often we don’t notice them because we never consciously open our ears to everything around us. It’s a little overwhelming, but quite interesting when you do actually listen. In a place like this Starbucks, everyone is here in this same space but many of us are using it for different reasons. I’m using it because there is a comfortable chair for me to complete this assignment. The people around me are having coffee and catching up with friends, reading a magazine, doing school work, business work, or working as an employee. The sounds influence the space because they reflect each other: There are so many different sounds, it’s hectic but also representative of all the things this space is used for. The space also influences the sound. In a coffee shop, you want people to feel comfortable, to feel like they can relax and work or have a nice location to think, talk or create. The playlists here are typically very calming, acoustic tracks that provide good background noise to fill the space between what each individual is doing. The sounds and the space work together and complement each other here, and that’s why I chose to use this coffee shop as my listening place.

#os2305 #sounds

Outer Space #3, Prompt 3

This past summer I was lucky enough to be able to go on a three week vacation out west; part of it with a friend and the rest of it with my aunt, uncle and two younger cousins who are 13 and 17. With my family, we went to LA and drove all the way up the coast of California on the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. We made a bunch of stops on the way in incredible places like Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Monterey, the Redwoods Forest and Santa Cruz.

While it wasn’t my favorite stop on the trip, LA was certainly one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been. Between downtown, Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Venice Beach and Santa Monica, there were a whole lot of differences between just a couple of miles. Those differences were only more evident after watching the ‘On the Streets’ documentary, so I decided to use LA to ask my uncle and cousin about a ‘place’ we had all been.

I asked the younger cousin (13) and my uncle (60) the same 5 questions about LA, and there were definitely some differences in their responses.

1. What was your first impression of LA when we flew into LAX and drove towards where we were staying?

-Uncle: The traffic. I’ve heard of it being a problem, but it was seriously like nothing I’d ever been in. And it wasn’t even quite rush hour. That and just the sheer amount of people, it wasn’t as glamorous as I anticipated on the first go-through.

-Cousin: It was really different! Coming in on the airplane, it was cool to see the mountains and the coastline. But trying to get to the hotel was so crowded and took forever. When we got over the bridge and closer to the beach it was so awesome, there was a skate park on the beach and people everywhere doing or selling cool things.

2. Out of the many places we went while we were in LA, which was your favorite and why?

-Uncle: I thought the Griffith Observatory and the hiking trails up there were awesome. Still really crowded with people, but the terrain is so different than in Florida. When you finally got up to the top, you saw the cliche view of downtown and the Hollywood sign that everyone talks about, but it was genuinely breathtaking. It was cool to be so close to the inner city but still have the nature aspect right there, and you felt like you could see for hundreds of miles.

-Cousin: I thought that the Santa Monica Pier was so cool. All of the rides, the food, the art and people were awesome, and it was all right there on the beach. We rode bikes down to the pier and watched the sunset and it was so pretty. The Beverly Hills area was amazing too. All of the designer stores and crazy cars and houses made me realize why people would want to live there and why people dream of going there and being a star.

3. Which was your least favorite and why?

-Uncle: My least favorite was probably the inner part of Hollywood and the star walk of fame. You hear so much about it, and it was just bleh. It was so run down, such a sketchy area, and just so touristy and obnoxious. It’s something you go to for a few minutes to see once and grab a picture, then never come back again. I appreciated the other areas we went to way more than that.

-Cousin: My least favorite was probably the downtown Hollywood area too. It was really cool to see the names of some of my favorite celebrities on a star, and it’s something you hear so much about and see all the time in movies. That part was cool. But when you were actually there it was really dirty and kind of scary. A lot of homeless and a lot of people on drugs asking for handouts and selling things. It was disappointing because the cool part only took like five minutes!

4. How did LA as a place have a different feel than our beach hometown in Florida?

Uncle: The feel, to me, was completely different. As we got closer to the Venice Beach area and rode bikes on the beach, it was a similar vibe, but it was still different. It all felt more modern, more hectic, and not as laid back as our home. It was crowded everywhere, and the clothing stores and restaurants all seemed very artsy and ‘hip’. It felt like a place where you could either be at the very top or the very bottom, and there was a clear divide between which was which. I guess that’s what LA is all about though. Overall it just felt very “showy.”

-Cousin: To me the feeling of LA was similar to our hometown. A lot of active, beachy people. But it definitely was different in some ways because of how big it was and how fast moving it was. I wouldn’t want to wait in that traffic every day, but everyone we talked to seemed nice and cool, and most people are like that at home, too.

5. What was the most surprising thing about LA after having experienced it now?

-Uncle: I think I mentioned it before, but it was definitely how not-glamorous it was. The only part that had that “famous star” feel was Beverly Hills, because of all the luxury cars and homes and shops. But the rest of it was really just run down, not clean, and not what I had anticipated. That, and everything was very expensive. I knew it was California and it would be more expensive, but wow that was a big difference, even in the areas that it didn’t seem like it would be.

-Cousin: The amount of homeless people and not nice areas. You always hear of how LA is the city of dreams, where all the celebrities live, and where all the exciting things happen. After going there, it was still awesome, but it wasn’t just some glamorous bubble of nice things. There are more people who are on the streets than anywhere I’ve seen in Florida, and that was a shock.

As a whole, and as expected, my younger cousin’s answers were typically more surface based, naive/innocent, or based on the materialistic culture and theory of Los Angeles. My uncle’s tended to consist of more critical thinking and more thought about the feelings/abstract experiences of visiting LA. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences two people of different generations had about the same place. The appeal of the LA stereotype is much stronger within the younger kids than it is the adults, but that wasn’t a surprise.

#OS2305 #Outerspace 3

Outer Space #2, Prompt 2

It’s 5:45 on a Saturday evening and I’m sitting in The Swamp all the way up at row 90 in the student section. For the last 10 minutes I’ve just observed everyone and everything else around me, going through their stadium workout, walking and talking with friends, etc. It’s weird because normally on Saturday’s at this time, this space is roaring with students and fans screaming for the Florida Gators. Tonight, it’s not quite that level of crazy, but it still is (and always will be) one of my favorite places of all time.

I watch fitness groups running up and down the stairs, then stopping at the bottom to catch their breath and stretch their legs, dripping sweat and chugging water. I see some of the football coaches and players walk out through the tunnel, showing incoming recruits and their families what it’s like to walk into the Swamp under the lights with the field painted like game day. I see people, just like me, who are simply sitting and watching, thinking, reading or eating. One girl looks like she may even be taking a nap ha. It’s amazing to see how many people use this place in different ways. We’re all here for the same reason during Saturday’s in the fall, but now people use it as their sanctuary for different reasons.

After I’ve observed for a few minutes, I put on my headphones, stretch, and start to run up and down the stairs for my own workout. As much as I hate doing stairs, especially in this place where it’s so steep and there are so many rows, I love being able to workout somewhere with a little more scenery than the treadmill. This time of night is my favorite, too. And with the amount of other students in here, I can tell it is for them as well. However, I don’t just love it because it’s a time to avoid the awful heat of mid day...I love it because the top of the stadium is one of the best places to watch a good sunset. As the clock hits 6:10, I stop and go to the very top to look at the sky. I picked a good night because the sunset tonight is incredible.

Tonight’s workout in the Swamp was by myself, mostly just because I focus and observe better alone and because it’s easier to run stairs by myself. But I know exactly how it feels to share this space with others...90,000 to be exact. Gamedays in Gainesville will be one of the things I will miss the most when I’m no longer a student, but I know that I’ll be one of those alumni to return to games all the time.

It’s funny how different the same place can make you feel under different circumstances. When I’m here on Saturday’s, this place feels electric, insane and full of life; and it makes you feel the same when you’re in it. But on evenings like today, it can be one of the most quiet and serene places on campus. It makes you feel relaxed, appreciative and reflective. Whichever version of the Swamp I’m experiencing, I always love it, I always feel like I am a part of it and it always feels like home.

#OS2305 #UF #Swamp

Outer Space #1- Prompt 1

The song that I’m choosing to write about is a song by Ed Sheeran titled ‘Castle on the Hill.” While this song is very new, it instantly had an impact on me because of how detailed and personal the lyrics were. Although it doesn’t mention the place by name, this song serves as a tribute to Ed Sheeran’s childhood and life experiences in his English hometown of Framlingham. From the opening line, Sheeran reflects on when he was a kid and he broke his leg at six years old. He talks about his old friends, his first kiss, his first broken heart, etc. In the chorus, he reminisces about driving home on country roads, listening to “Tiny Dancer” and watching the sunset over the castle on the hill with someone he loved by his side. He finishes every verse with saying how he can’t wait to go back home.

As a listener, the song gives you a personal insight into Sheeran’s upbringing, more so than most songs ever do. I’ve never personally been to Sheeran’s English hometown. However, it resonates so well because it makes you as a listener reflect back on your own experiences, your own childhood and the things that make your hometown home.

As I listen to ‘Castle on the Hill,’ it not only has a great melody, but it instantly gets me thinking about the memories and friends I had growing up. I remember waking up every Sunday and going to church with my family, then spending the rest of the day soaking up the sun on the beach and having ice cream for dinner. I remember learning to drive, getting my first truck at 16 and driving my friends all around town doing whatever nonsense we used to do. I remember bickering and always making up 5 minutes later with my older brother who has grown to be my best friend. I think about high school, the friends I had and where they are now, playing soccer and winning a state championship for my hometown alongside my teammates. Just like Sheeran recalls watching the sunset over the castle on the hill, I remember watching the sunset almost every night I could from the bench at the river park on my street. And also just like Sheeran, not all of the memories are good but that’s what makes the place and the song that much better.

Although I can’t directly relate to Ed Sheeran’s exact experiences in his hometown, this song is so relatable because it immediately brings me back to my own memories. It allows me to keep the theme of the song the same but replace his words with my own. Even though I’m only a few hours away from home here at school, I get so excited for the chances I do get to go back home and this song describes that feeling perfectly.

I’m from Melbourne Beach, FL on the East Coast, and attached are a few pictures I’ve taken from my awesome little hometown. I’ll also post the song below.

#OS2305 #Outer Space 1

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