Sofia Duran Writ340

I have been thinking for a while about how hard it is to start a new habit. This comes to mind after experiencing firsthand failure at trying to form the habit of exercising. I have been trying to get myself to go to the gym for a while, but never achieve it. The process goes like this: I want to go back because I know it brings well-being to my life and I’ll feel great afterward. But when the moment of actually going arrives, there is always something more important to do, or I am simply too tired. I prioritize the 'other more important' thing. Finally, a couple of hours go by, and I feel disappointed in myself because I did not fulfill what I had promised myself I would. The brain and how it works are very interesting things. The perception we have of situations can influence our behavior. I started to reflect on why this constant failure was happening to me, and I discovered two things. A big part of me has a perfectionist mindset. So, when I make a goal for myself, I go to ...

  Book 1 – Post 2   Book: American Like Me by America Ferreira   Reading “American Like Me” has been a very interesting experience. It is a book that has 31 chapters, each telling a unique story of a person who has experienced life between cultures. Although each story is short, it’s the perfect length to get a glimpse of who the person is, and their voice, and understand a part of how growing up torn between cultures influenced who they are today. I think one of the hardest parts of growing up between two or more cultures is feeling you don’t really belong to either of them. In my opinion, this sense of not belonging at the same time can be seen as each of the cultures making part of who the person is. For this reason, I think that experience is what makes people unique and special because no one has had the same experience and therefore, sees the world the way they do it.   One of the chapters that I recently read and enjoyed the most is the one by Jenny Zhang. She...

 Sofia Duran Sarria Becoming someone you never thought you’d be   How to run a half marathon, when 6 months earlier you couldn’t even run a 5K.    I come from quite an athletic family. In his lifetime my dad has run 5 half-ironman triathlons, my mom has completed 6 marathons and 2 half-ironman triathlons, and my little brother, who is two years younger than me ran his first full marathon last year. I often find myself staring in awe at my home’s living room wall, where all their medals hang. Although running should come in my “veins” it is not something I am naturally good at. I’ll be honest, I have tried. But I’ve learned the hard way, that training at my family’s pace is something that always ends up in suffering for me. Running had always seemed like torture. Even going past 5K seemed impossible to me.    Today, two weeks after running my first half marathon, I find myself in shock at how things have changed and how our relationships with sports and...

Becoming someone, you never thought you’d be   How to run a half marathon, when 6 months earlier you couldn’t even run a 5K.    I come from quite an athletic family. In his lifetime my dad has run 5 half-ironman triathlons, my mom has completed 6 marathons and 2 half-ironman triathlons, and my little brother, who is two years younger than me ran his first full marathon last year. I often find myself staring in awe at my home’s living room wall, where all their medals hang. It is very impressive. Although running should come in my “veins” it is not something I feel I am naturally good at. I’ll be honest, I have tried. But I’ve learned the hard way, that training at my family’s pace is something that always ends up in suffering and kind of traumatic experiences for me. Even though I do enjoy playing sports, like basketball or volleyball, since very young running seemed to be torture with too much impact that seemed impossible to enjoy for me. To put a number to it, sin...

 Book 1 – Post 1 Book: American Like Me by America Ferreira I chose the book “American Like Me” because of several reasons. The first one is the reviews. I didn’t even know what the book was about, but I knew it was a bestseller. This fact convinced me to believe, that if I chose the book for completing the reading assignment in the WRIT340 class, it must be good. Before purchasing the book I did the research of what it was about and who had written it. The topic seemed interesting for me to read, as I feel I could relate to it. I am from Colombia and moved to the US when I started my college journey at USC. To some extent, I have felt I have a complicated relationship with family, culture, and growing up. When I moved to LA I experienced cultural shock in many aspects of my life, because things are simply different, and I am far away from the place I grew up in and the people who I consider part of my home. I felt intrigued to learn more about other people’s experiences and the co...