Journal Day // A Song + A Story

I was reading Sometimes Sweet the other day and came across Danielle's post about Journal Day. Though I have only recently been reading Danielle's blog, it has quickly become one of my favorites and I wish I were lucky enough to have an English teacher as cool as her when I was in high school. In her post about Journal Day, Danielle talks about how in her teaching days she would often have a prompt on the board ready for her students to spend some time writing about once class began, and then each student would share a piece of what they wrote. I love the idea of this and am so happy that she is bringing it to her blog (she actually used to do this & is starting it back up again). This is such a great way to focus on what blogging is all about: writing.

So now that you know what this is all about, onward...

This week's prompt is: "Choose a song that has a particular meaning to you. Tell the story of the memory associated with the song, sharing as much detail as you can. Take us there; let us experience it with you."

I love music and have so many songs that hold great meaning to me, so it was pretty tough to narrow it down to just one to write about. I started to think about this blog and realized that the answer was obvious: talk about the name behind my blog. Duh, since I'm sure you probably didn't know it was actually inspired by a song, a song called "Foreign Room" by the band Telekinesis. Original, right?

I first fell in love with Telekinesis back in 2009, when I saw them open for another band. That summer, I must have listened to their album at least 2-3 times per day. While I basically love every song on that album, the song "Foreign Room" always stirred up in me something that was the most unique. After that, I always perked up a bit when I heard it, but it didn't hold as much meaning to me until a couple years ago.

Ever since my senior of high school (I graduated in 2012), I have struggled with the idea of growing up, being on my own, being responsible, and really just not being a "kid" anymore. I remember applying to colleges really scared me and stressed me out. Obviously college apps are a stressful time for most people, but I think (looking back) that whole time gave me anxiety because I simply wasn't ready to leave home. After a lot of thinking, I decided to stay home and go to community college, and since then have started working as a nanny, have become (mostly) financially responsible, have travelled more than I ever have in my life, and have started looking forward to what the future holds more than I am afraid of it.

So, where does this song come in?

Every time I listen to it, it just reminds me of all that, and of how much I have grown over the past few years. It also reminds me to enjoy where I am in the present, because that too will soon just be a memory, a time, and a place that I can't go back to. That is honestly kind of scary, but also good because I know that there are so many great things ahead as well. This songs makes me feel bittersweet in that way, but also grounded in what life is really about.

In a picture we were young, look at us now

Across the globe a thousand times, but I never made it back

Back to the foreign room, now I lead a foreign life.

So then I went and named my blog after it. I guess I did it because of the constant growth that occurs in us as humans, and because of how scenes in life change, the familiar changing and becoming the past without us even being aware of it at times.

Also, funny note, sometimes Dai makes fun of me being a blogger, and says things like "Oh, I need to take some photos so I can post them on my blog, Ancient Room." And then he just laughs and laughs and thinks he is the most clever person.

But if he really wanted to be funny, he would call it Familiar Room. Come on, Dai.

Anyway, it is really late as I write this and I think this post is getting more incoherent as I go on. But I hope you enjoyed reading it and getting to know a little piece of me a bit better. I loved writing this and am thinking of making these Journal Days a regular thing around here.

Happy Thursday!