There comes a time when we are so exhausted from our daily activities that we have to escape the reality we face once in a while. Maybe some people will feel that sometimes sinking into daydreams will feel more enjoyable because everything we hope for and fantasize about the whole thing is in there compared to our bitter lives.
I was an example of a person who always ran away from the bitterness of life. I would run away from all my problems at home, college, and my relationships with people. When that happened, I would seek out my own space to create my own imaginary world where I was free to be whoever I wanted to be.
One day, a big problem approached me. It was an assignment at my university. A lecturer in my geographic information system course assigned a group project on mapping critical land in a remote area. Unfortunately, I was in a group of 10 with kids who were notoriously lazy and unwilling to obey.
I really hate being surrounded by people like them. I had decided to divide up our tasks and roles, but they were so hard to manage. I felt jealousy when I saw the cohesiveness of other groups compared to my kindergarten-like team who wouldn't listen to me.
Anxiety and frustration took over my mind. I began to wonder what the fate of our project would be, even though this kind of assignment carries a lot of weight in the grading system. There was no way I could do this big task by myself, and it was impossible to ask for help from other groups.
To calm myself down from this harsh reality, I tried to clear my mind through an afternoon stroll. I do like to enjoy the afternoon scenery while riding my motorcycle when I need to amuse myself, and right now I really needed it to keep me from getting mentally exhausted.
I decided to pass through the vast rice fields in my village. The road here is really very outstanding and gorgeous. I could say hello to all the people who were farming while humming along. My favorite thing is that the roads here are designed to be as narrow as possible, so this area is rarely used by large vehicles, making motorcyclists like me feel comfortable going through this area. The paddy crops have also entered the harvest period, so all the rice fields will look like a golden field that tempts my eyes.
When I'm driving, sometimes I have a million fantasies that cross my mind. My mind doesn't focus on the problems I have but rather it drifts through my imagination. I was thinking about what my fate would be after I graduated from college. I started thinking about myself having a career as a great civil servant serving the country, or becoming an environmental consultant with a million clients who believed in my abilities.
But at that moment I also had time to fantasize about my biggest dream. Ever since I was a little child, I wanted to continue my studies abroad, especially in Europe. I thought that studying in a country with the best education system would affect my future career, so I didn't hesitate to have such a big dream.
I daydreamed while driving about myself at a famous university. I joined a famous club, became an outstanding student and won an international speech competition. On weekend I would having fun with my new friends to the downtown and taste the specialties of the area while taking pictures and showing them to my parents and closest friends.
I don't know why I was completely lost in my fantasy world, but I still had the consciousness to focus while driving. I continued fantasizing until I got back home. It felt completely refreshed as if the frustration I had experienced earlier had become lighter. I became more able to think rationally to deal with all the problems with my group mates and coursework.
What made me strong enough to face all the problems when I thought of giving up halfway through were all my fantasies. I don't want them to be just a daydreams that won't happen. I want to make them a reality. From now on, I'm working on improving my relationships with my friends, studying hard at my college and getting good grades. I will always try to pursue my dreams in accordance with what I hope for.