Spiel of the Day

I am writing this while being on a plane back to New York from California, and I don't really know what to talk about. Today was pretty mundane. I spent some time packing and getting ready to go to the airport, eventually went to the airport, on the plane, and then left. And now, while I'm on the plane, I'm watching Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, a movie I've watched once after reading all the Harry Potter books.

That makes a nice segue into something I've noticed: as I am getting older, I'm not reading as much as I used to. I remember in middle school when I used to read a 500-800-page book every 3 days, but now it's difficult for me to even finish one. I think the last time I picked up a book for my own enjoyment (i.e., not for a school assignment) was in eighth grade, when I read The Hate U Give. I remember selecting that book because it centered on more real issues in the country, which I wanted to be more informed about. I used to read a lot of Rick Riordan and Stuart Gibbs; they were my favorite authors, and their books were always thrilling. While not considered "classics" in terms og the literature genre, they made a huge impact on my childhood. However, while those books would be fun to reread (as I've reread them many times before), I fear I'm obligated to read something a little bit more at my reading level.

I have two weeks before I leave New York for a writing camp in middle-of-nowhere, Ohio, and I'm thinking about how to spend them. Should I prepare for the SAT? Should I take a breather and relax? Should I start a passion project? Seeing the seniors graduate from Andover has made me a bit anxious about the question: Am I doing the right thing to achieve my goals? Sadly, it's even difficult to answer the question: What are my goals? Still, I want to make sure, first and foremost, to do things that I like, and not things I'm "supposed to do." I love to write and I love to research, so I will gladly take any opportunities that come my way that can help me improve in those areas.

I received some really nice feedback on these Spiels of the Day from some friends; one noteworthy one being that I should ensure I maintain the "raw" feeling, while also not feeling pressure to fill the page with exciting events, and rather just things that come to mind. I have to grapple a bit more with the latter part: I want this to be entertaining to some degree, it is not my main focus. My main goal for these is to just practice my on-the-go writing in a form that is not subject to grades or guidelines. However, I'm thinking of adding more formal work to these little Spiels as well, rather than just metacognitive reflection.

I miss my friends. Going back to NYC will allow me to see some of them again, which I will appreciate. While I agree that family is important, I fnd that sometimes your chosen family, those close to you who are not blood related, are as important.

Today is June 7th, 2026 and I look forward to being back in New York, and whatever comes my way in the next few weeks.