As I walk down the stairs coming from the parking deck, I can faintly hear the lively streets of Atlanta as I take each step getting closer to the door that leads out. Opening the doors to from the parking deck that leads into the shop, I’m  bombarded by the scent of milk tea and EDM music that is ever so present within the store. The sweet aroma of baked goods and the drinks alike waft over to me as I stand in the doorway contemplating on what i wanted to eat. And suddenly I’m drawn back to reality as someone ask to me to move aside. After some thought I can’t seem to make up my mind and decide to go with the usual taro bubble tea drink and make the order. As I wait for my order I look around at the shop like I always do , admiring the  urban style setup and the paint that is park burgundy and pink, colors that are trademark to the chain. Nothing beats the vibe of wanting to sip good bubble tea while being able to enjoy the music selection that shop offers while being to browse the web or find a seat and chat with a fellow customer which consists of colorful adorned people that shop seems to attract. After finishing my drink I leave as per usual and the music and smells fade as each step takes me further away from the store.

My space is my Sanctuary. A place where I am able to roam freely around its territory with any opposition. A place that is 24/7 accessibility and offers relaxation and solitude. Watching from any perspective, many people would call this place home.

My home is a place that gave me something I valued the most, isolation from the world. Its occupants, being my mother and sister, were often not present adapting me to being alone. It’s location is in such a quiet neighborhood that you could regularly hear cars drive up and there door’s. That amount of peace became so usual that it became what I loved.

After coming home at almost 9:00 daily because of my extra-curricular and not going out on the weekends made me love my home even more. There I could come from a stressful day and do whatever I wanted, rather it be sleep, surf, study, or just be lazy. Being there for all the 18 years of my life left a strong imprint on my life.

No matter how far away from home that I get, my first home will always be my Sanctuary.

I can see the field in the distance. The green grass brings back comforting memories that I have collected all of my life. There are two soccer goals on either side that make me reminisce on the sight of their bulge as one scores a goal and ensures victory for his team. There is a certain smell in the air that only an athlete would recognize when one steps onto his turf. When I step on the field something amazing happens. All of my troubles, big or small, disappear. I am lost in the game and refuse to be found by anyone or anything. This is my safe place. This is home.

My Private Oasis

Heaven on Earth. I take off my shoes and the soft white clouds beneath me instantly relax my soul. The light mint skies surround me. Clean linen and soft cotton scents fill the air. My tired eyes at ease, the long days work finally coming to an end. I lay my sore and weary body down on the bed of feathers. The fan turning putting me in a deep trance. Shut my eyes and start to dream. Dream of the day to come and the beautiful night that follows.

Whether I’m in a good mood or not, this is the one place where I find peace. I consider my room my own little heaven. My room is located directly across from the kitchen. It isn’t as big as my mother’s but it’ll do. When you walk into my room, you’ll find my full sized bed with a big purple pillow and a gray,white, and blue cover on it. In this bed, I often read, type papers, dream, plan, and sleep. Above my bed hangs my blue peace light. To the right of my bed is my brown toy chest a.k.a my bedside table. It has everything on top of it from a heater to a calculator. However, it is very essential. You’ll also see my brown and white chest of drawers, my white and brown bookshelf and so much more. When other people come into my room, they think of my place as just another room. However, I think of my room as my world. Without my world. how could I possibly function….

An individual’s space is where they feel the most comfortable at. This place for me has changed by age. Originally it was the Library, which was a gargantuan cement building with miles, and miles of  wooden tombs for books of all kinds. Books the size of me, books smaller than mice, and books of every color of the rainbow. Now my personal space is my room. My room is set at the end of a one-story house on a hill in Atlanta,Ga. My room is the perfect space. It’s a dark,quiet, warm, spacious place where I can just sleep, and eat whenever I want. Whenever I don’t feel well, or am in a bad mood, I sit in my room , and just meditate. My room is covered with shades, and curtains in both of the windows in my room, so that in the cases of migranes, or other emergencies which could put my sanity in danger, I can just cover the windows and sit in absolute silence, and solitude.

-Republished-

I reach in and twist the nob until it catches. The water cuts on, barely grazing my arm. I turn on my toes against the cold tiles to reach my phone. With one click the screen lights up and I find my favorite playlist. A familiar beep projects from my Bluetooth speaker and I’m Yours begins to play. A little hum comes from the back of my throat as I unwrap myself from the towel. I drop the towel onto its hook as I glide past the curtain. The music becomes background noise as I sink into my element. I adjust the temperature until it is perfect. Eyes closed, I stand under the running water, head back and arms crossed in an X across my chest. I feel the smooth stream run off my eyelashes and over my lips. The white walls hold the suds as the peppermint soap grows. I take a long moment to stand under the faucet to rinse my skin clean. The soapy water flows in a circle around my feet and plunges down the drain. The nob sparkles as I turn it the other way. My towel is waiting. It hugs me tight as I step onto the soft mat. My day continues peacefully.

When studying or what I call it, stressing out , I would go study at a cafe when I am not at home. A few of my favorite places is: Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or Sweet Hut. All of these places are similar in the environment. People there are usually nice and very welcoming, therefore I go to those places a lot. The three places plays very nice musics and I can enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack food during my stay, while I cry about the tremendous amount of assignments all due on the same day. For example, Sweet Hut has really nice musics and the place is overwhelmed with the smell of coffee and sweets, which strangely, I enjoy a little too much. The space itself is very inviting to paying customers, sadly the homeless are not welcomed unless they have money. I can see that Sweet Hut has similar people like me: on their laptop trying to remember as much information as they can, or people who are studying out of a textbook. Either way, everyone in Sweet Hut enjoys the clamminess and peaceful environment provided, while their brains are overworked trying to cram every single knowledge as possible. One of the main reason why I go to Sweet Hut more than the other two is because it has individual booths where I can take the whole booth to myself and study so that no one can stare at me. Additionally, Sweet Hut closes pretty late (2am) so I do not have to worry about hurrying and leaving the place before the workers there inform me about the closing time. These are just of a few of my favorite traits of Sweet Hut, I did not even mention about the foods and drinks there; the french fries and the chicken nuggets are bomb and the honey lemon aloe vera is to die for. Furthermore, studying at Sweet Hut is really nice because I can always forget my bittersweet feelings toward studying through great food, drinks, and environment.

Back in my hometown, there is this coffee shop that I used to go to daily. It is on the same street as the ballet studio I went to almost everyday. The coffee shop, Iron Bank Coffee, is located inside of what used to be a bank. The inside has tall ceilings, big windows that let all the light in, and old hardwood floors. A ton of mixed matched chandeliers hung down from the ceiling creating such a magical feel. The best music is played there too. Not exactly pop music but music I really enjoy. Sometimes, local artists will come in a perform on Friday or Saturday nights. I’ve never been in Iron Bank when there was no one there. Many students come in and you can see them studying. Business men and women stop in to grab coffee and pastries in the middle of their work day. Some people just come to hangout. There are private rooms in Iron Bank with comfortable chairs and sofas so people can just relax if they need to. The space at Iron Bank is so welcoming and relaxing, its no surprise at all why so many people love Iron Bank.

A space that has always made an impact for me is Six Flags. It’s such an amazing amusement park and without question, you will have a ton of fun. As the warm sun shines down on your skin, nothing gives off a better feeling of enjoying summer than being at six flags.With countless rides like the Goliath and superman, there’s such a breathtaking rush you’ll feel while soaring through the air.  If that’s not enough there are several places to eat food throughout the park. With options to eat delicious and steaming hot pizza, a delicious juicy burger, or even the sweetest of a desert like ice cream, how could you go wrong here? You can also buy some t-shirts here as well to show off how much fun you had. In addition to that, six flags also provides fright fest every October for customers as well as Christmas events too. As your heart is pounding out of your chest as you run from some hideous monster or getting to sit on Santa’s lap, I can not imagine not having a blast here! Without any doubt, six flags is the premiere spot to have endless fun and create memories that will last a lifetime!