Escaping life’s worries is like jumping into an ice-cold pond on a blazing-hot summer day. Every day after school I look forward to one thing: the farm. After all the geometry proofs and researching the Greek goddess Calypso, I just need some time to relax. I come home, eat some Funyuns, then pack up the SUV and drive up and down the hills of Wildwood to the farm..

All of life’s demands fall away. The smell of the woods and fresh air relaxes me.

The best part of being at the farm? Trail riding on my horse Gypsy for hours. Being in the saddle is my remedy for an exhausting school day. I can forget about everything for a little while and just enjoy the atmosphere. Every teen should have this kind of place.

Apart from riding my horse, my leisure time consists of League of Legends, an online game similar to World of Warcraft or hanging out with my best friends. League of Legends is a stress reliever because whenever a teammate dies or I get killed in the game, I can yell at my computer screen without someone yelling back at me. It’s great.

When I get overwhelmed by “Points A, B, C are collinear, and D is between B and C,” I take it out on the people around me.

Mom will say something like, “Clean your room,” and I’ll come back at her with,”Are you kidding me? Leave me alone!”

I’ll have an attitude toward my family, my friends and even my teachers. My grades start to go downhill. I become unhappier as the week goes on.

Others may lock themselves in their rooms or blast their music to the point where they can’t hear their own thoughts.

Whether my safe haven is relaxing in the library, laying in my bed listening to Brad Paisley or watching “Moulin Rouge;” I need some time to myself.

Life is full of responsibilities: chores, homework, sports, etc. The pressures can cause a serious migraine or maybe even a panic attack.

I’m not saying everyone should just ditch homework and responsibilities exclaiming, “Forget it!” What I am saying is that everyone should take an hour or two to rejuvenate and clear their minds of any stress or worry. Take a long drive down some back roads or take a walk to the closest river and skip rocks. Maybe sit in the grass in the front yard and look at the clouds go by.

With school, jobs, sports, babysitting, homework and everything else in our jam-packed lives, we all need to take the time to relax. Taking the time to cool off and dip my toes in the cool water of the farm’s pond after my blood has been boiling all day long is essential to a happy, healthy life.