One of my favorite pastimes is watercolor painting. I usually paint whenever I’m feeling stressed or need to relax. It’s become a quiet, creative outlet for me—a way to slow down and focus on something simple and calming. One thing I love to do is watercolor greeting cards for my friends and family. I love writing people letters, and sending a handmade card always makes the mail feel more personal. When I paint the cards, I’m able to personalize them to fit not only the occasion but also the person, their likes, interests, or something that reminds me of them. I don’t have pictures of these cards because I make them and send them out on a case-by-case basis, and once they’re sent, well... they’re no longer mine! Instead, I’ve uploaded two small pieces I painted after my grandmother Mimi passed away last year. Watercoloring was a way for me to process her loss and hold on to some of the memories we shared. Many of those memories are tied to food—going to get snoballs (her favorite was chocolate, so I painted a chocolate snoball) and eating seafood together. Oysters are my favorite, and Mimi always used to tease me, saying she didn’t know how I could eat those. Painting those little things helped me feel close to her, even after she was gone. I know these pieces might not be the "most impressive" works of art to some, but for me, that’s not what watercoloring is about. For me, watercoloring is about capturing the small moments—putting the tiny details of life into paint. After graduating in May, I plan to either 1) join a missionary program to teach underprivileged children or 2) become a high school history teacher. I know I want to do both at some point, so it will just depend on what works out first!