When I’m not at school I’m almost certainly outside.
The McDowell Grove Forest Preserve has slowly become my second home. I forage there, I hang out with my friends there, and I get into the most jubilant of shenanigans.
I collect wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) for a special kind of tea that’s essentially a super strong chamomile. It grows in a specific location on one of the gravel paths there, and as far as I know I’m the only one that knows
the spot that’s hidden in plain sight. If I happen to be alone there and I’m not foraging, I’m almost certainly reading down by the river. I mostly read non-fiction; mostly ethical and political philosophy as well as the occasional re-reading of the Daodejing. If I’m there with my friends, I’m almost certainly having a picnic and lazily swimming in the river or leaping off the dam (mostly safe) into the rolling river. Sometimes we find hidden corners of the forest, and sometimes we rescue snapping turtles from imminent doom.
If I’m lucky and persevere enough to withstand years of social pressure, I plan on saving up and buying some acreage either in northern British Columbia or the middle of nowhere in the United States (Wyoming or Montana). I’ll build a relatively cheap cabin and pay my property taxes by selling crops I grow, books I write, and wooden trinkets I make.
In the meantime, I’m a student.
In school, I’m the Co-President of Space Club and a member of Theatrical Tech Crew. In space club, we discuss all sorts of topics pertaining to space 
exploration as well as current events relating to occurrences involving space. In tech crew, I mainly like maintaining and organizing the props in the shows, but I also enjoy painting (and I tolerate carpentry when I have to). I’ve formed lasting friendships as well as skills that will last me far beyond my high school and college career.
Throughout high school, I’ve done a lot of introspection and from that I’ve grown a lot as a person. One of the things that pushed my personal growth was an event known as Snowball, where I formed some of the strongest relationships with people that I now call some of my best friends. I learned where I best fit in my groups of friends, and I also learned how to take care of myself.
Growth is something that people are always undergoing. With adolescents especially, growth can take shape in multitudes of ways, and it can happen when you least expect it. Fortunately for me, I’ve been able to grow from mostly positive experiences. I’ve grown to understand myself not as just a student or a nature nerd, but a dynamic and changing person.