My Journey Journal

Since the start of this school year, I’ve kept a journey notebook for my English class given by Professor Cynthia Pittmann. We did a collage on the front cover filled with pictures of places where we’ve went to want to go. It could also be things that represent our inner journeys. I did mine on various places. There’s a couple of Puerto Rico from a couple of my favourite places to go.

I included Flamenco beach, my favourite beach, where I spent my quinceañera. I also have a picture of El Morro, but that symbolizes San Juan as a whole with all its rich history.  El Yunque is Puerto Rico’s rainforest, a beautiful place where you can have an adventure while appreciating the huge diversity of life here in Puerto Rico. There’s a couple of places I’ve gone to outside of Puerto Rico, like New York City and Broadway. Places I’d love to go to include Chicago, Disney World and the Great Canyon. To symbolize my inner journey, I included a picture of Borders as reading is a big part of me, and my campus, UPRRP. Also, where I’d love to go and my ultimate goal, the Medical Science campus.

My Journal
Photo taken by me 

Inside, there are several entries. The rules are:

o   Keep your hand moving

o   Don’t cross out

o   Don’t worry about grammar

o   Lose control

o   Don’t think or get logical

o   Go for the jugular

We have to do a total of at least 40 entries following these rules. We also have to do a life compass, rating from 0-3 our spiritual, mental, physical and emotional states. At first, I was overthinking too much and worrying about grammar, but with time I’ve learned to let go. It can be pretty relaxing sometimes. Other times, it brings to the front of your mind everything you’re worrying about. But in any case, I found it helpful to later read my unfiltered thoughts. Sometimes it can be hard for me to express how I’m feeling or why I’m feeling that way, and this can help me get in touch with my feelings in a better way.

I’ve never kept a journal before. But I see now why people keep them as it can be therapeutic. It’s also nice to keep those memories and read them later. But, it requires a bit of time and discipline if I want to document my day to day life. I don’t know if I’ll still have one after the project is over, as I know I won’t want to write everyday on it. But who knows? I could see it as an option now.

About Dreams. A Reflection on Carl Jung's “Memories, Dreams and Reflections”

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     I usually remember my dreams. We all have dreams when we get to the deepest sleep, the REM stage. Yet not many people remember their dreams. Now, I don’t keep a dream journal, but even if I did and I’d wrote down everything just after waking up, I wouldn’t be able to recall all the details from even my most memorable dreams. Much less the degree of details that Carl Jung seems to recall in his autobiography “Memories, Dreams and Reflections” from his dreams many years later. I treated the dreams section from each chapter as the fiction part of the book, as I can’t believe in their authenticity.

Carl Jung

     But, as a reader, what I look for in a book is to either to be entertained, to maybe see things from a different perspective or to learn something new. And in this aspect, I feel that his autobiography delivered. In each chapter, he explored a new country, and seeing the different cultures was my favorite part of the book. He connects the memories from each place he visited with one or more dream he (presumingly) had during his stay. The memories represent his outer journey, while the dreams represent the inner journey.

     I do feel, of course, that my dreams are formed from thoughts in my subconscious. They have made a small impact in me as a person. I sometimes dream about things I don’t want to confront when I’m awake, thoughts that maybe I didn’t wish I had or I’m not ready to accept. And they sneak their way into my dreams, forcing me to confront it in that moment. But it’s always been things I’ve already known and just didn’t want to think about. And either I shake it off in the morning, or it bugs me all day until I’m forced to reflect on it.

     I suppose, in that way, my dreams have played a part in the decisions I later make, being whether I decide to do something or not. I’d still like to have a dream that’ll make me arrive at a new realization I wasn’t just purposely ignoring. One that wasn’t already in my conscious, and that enters from my unconscious into my consciousness just in that moment. Maybe it's already happened and I haven't realized.

About Me

     Hi, welcome to my blog! I'm a 20 year old junior in college. I'm majoring in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus. This blog's title, The Time Traveler, was inspired by my favorite book "The Time Traveler's Wife”. It also refers to how life is a journey and we're all traveling through time, unable to slow down or go faster. So we have to enjoy the ride, and live a life without “what if's”.

     I have a younger (but taller) sister, Tiffany, and my dog Abby. Both are of course equally important to me. I live close to campus with three other roommates, which can be a bit crowded, but also really fun. We spend our days either studying, watching Friends or How I Met Your Mother, or singing and goofing around.

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     I enjoy reading a variety of fiction books. Some of my favorites include the Harry Potter series, To Kill a Mockingbird and My Sister's Keeper. I enjoy going to the beach, catching a movie, goofing around with my friends and exploring my beautiful island of Puerto Rico. I mainly spend my days studying, but I really enjoy it and I hope to become a doctor one day. Being confronted with challenges and making somebody smile are passions of mine

Beach in Vega Baja
Photo taken by me

     I love traveling, but I don’t travel nearly as much as I would want. But, I have travelled within Puerto Rico, and I’ve visited New York a couple of times. My favorite place I’d gone to would have to be the island of Culebra. It’s an island full of adventures and beauty, and holds a special place on my heart.

     Made for my English literature class given by my professor Cynthia Pittmann, I’ll reflect about some literature works here in my blog, as well as explore my inner and outer journeys, and maybe talk about books I’m currently reading or any other interesting topic. You can find me on Instagram as kimberly0015 to keep up with my life.

 

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