There are countless decisions we have to make on a daily basis. One of the toughest ones I had to make was whether or not I should take a break from college. After getting treatment for meningoencephalitis I quickly discovered that although the disease was gone and I lived, I still had a long road to recovery. For this, I needed time off to focus on my health.
You would imagine that after going through such a rare and deadly disease I would think something like a break from school would not even be a problem. That was something that seemed larger than life at that time. However, I had to take time for myself and I am so glad I did.
At first, this break felt weird. With so much free time on my hands, I did not know what to make of it. Everyone who works or goes to school jumps up when they hear about a snow day, cries on Monday, runs out to go home as fast as they can on holidays, and dread weeks ahead of when the break is about to be over. They crave free time. And now that I had so much of it, I wanted my regular routine back. I wanted to be "normal" again and walk the same path as my peers.
For starter, doctors said what doctors typically say: Get in the habit of exercise, eat healthily and rest. So I joined a gym, and being completely new to the world of exercise, I had no idea I would eventually start liking it.
Tasty on Facebook inspired me to start baking. I did that. Succeeded in making those fancy cheesecake bites. I also tried cauliflower pizza, but I swear to you, never am I ever going to make that again!
Soulful music inspired me to pick up my classical guitar and take lessons and learn Sajjad Ali's "Har Zulm."
Youtube had subtitles for the first episode of the Turkish drama series "Fatmagul," but only the first episode. I had no idea what it was about. The first was so intriguing I decided to start learning the language itself. No need for subtitles!
Never had I imagined I would play sports. 2016 Olympics got me hooked on tennis.
I even received acting training for TV, Commercial and Film.
Most importantly, I visited my family overseas, and since there was no deadline to go back to school, I got to spend months with them. Every single minute of that visit was cherished.
So, when people ask me what I did during my break, I don't have one answer. All I know is what I learned during my break.
Now that I am ready to go back to school, I know what my goal is going to be. I go back now—not for that resume to impress future employers or to force myself to get involved in activities I don't enjoy just because they might be glittery on the resume. I am now going for the kind of education I want.
I fought through the biggest tests of my life while recovering from encephalitis. I learned activities that challenged me in their own way. I found out what I liked outside of school. Now, I am much more confident in what I wish to gain from school.
Some people know what they want from school from their very first day. I had no idea. I thought being "Miss Do it All" would get me somewhere, but I had no clear direction. This break allowed me to narrow down what I thought I should do to what I know I want to do.
