An Explanation Of The Song 'Ride' By Naïka

The natural world has a rhythm that ebbs and flows; it is this rhythm that all of nature follows. It is the natural order of life. It is where when left to itself, life finds its balance. The beauty of nature is all around us, and yet; we are unaware, too caught up in the rush of day to day living that we forget to look at what is right there in front of us. The pressures of society, friends and family, paying the bills, work, school, news events, the harshness of the world; we fail to see the softness, peace, beauty and the balance of nature. It is in nature where we find our true selves, our inner peace, our inner voice, our balance.

To return to nature and learn while doing so, is to live purely. A pure lifestyle is my ultimate understanding of happiness. This past summer, I was able to achieve this state of bliss by attending a fifteen-day backpacking course with the Colorado Outward Bound School where I explored the Elks Mountain Range. I was gifted with the amazing opportunity to meet ten like-minded individuals who came from all over the world and experience a way of life away from our typical lifestyles. Living out of backpacks, sleeping under the stars, and cooking meals for one another at the top of mountains were just a few of our daily activities that allowed us to come to know each other, our surroundings, and ourselves. A core aspect of this program is participation

“I want to be a firefighter, construction worker, and professional race car driver when I grow up.” This was my proud childhood statement I would use when asked the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” This question in particular is one that will be asked awfully early in one’s childhood, as well as very late in a young adults final years before venturing out into the “real world”. Like many other young children, I grew up with the mindset of having a exciting, heroic, and lively job for when I got older. I dreamt of operating heavy construction machinery, saving families while extinguishing fires of a decaying building, and speeding past vibrant and heavily decalled race cars. However, as I grew older and gained more realistic

“With a pencil and a piece of paper, I create WORLDS. What do you do for a living?” This is an anonymous quote that inspires me to make my artwork and write my stories to be the creator of my own worlds. Using the least of tools I can create entire worlds in minutes, with sketches, colors, text and visions that make your head spin. A whole new universe created by my own invention of my own imagination and design. My American Dream is to get a college degree majoring in graphic design and literature, to sell my artwork, publish my stories, and to have a nice house with a family of my own with a legacy that will last forever.

This is what the airplane in my mandala represents. Traveling is something i wish i could do the rest of my life. I have been to Roatan, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas. Roatan was my favorite place of them all. I wish i would have never come back and i want to move there and live in my dad's beach house. A couple places i want to go are africa, bora bora, and italy. When i graduate high school i plan to take a year off before going to college and moving to another country. This way i can learn another country's culture and live and work how they do in that country. I really would like to be an exchange student but my parents don't approve. There are so many opportunities and things i can do for traveling i just have to graduate

“Finding Ourselves in Nature” was about how nature is beautiful when it has not been tampered with a lot. Nature is the last of the “real world”. We talked about how there is only so much nature and how we need to preserve it, respect it, take care of it and most of all we don’t need to change it. Nature is beautiful the way it is. I doesn’t need need to be changed or messed with. Linda Hogan once said, “how often i’ve wanted to escape to a wilderness where a human hand has not bed in everything”. Have you ever thought about that? If you could go to a nice quiet place where it is just you and nature, would you go? Sometimes we get in a big hurry and don’t realize how beautiful our surroundings are.

dream was to live a country life, but the farm took much more work than he expected.

It is a cliché to say that I’ve always known what I want to do with my life, but in my case it happens to be true. When I first visited Sea World as a young child, I fell in love with marine animals in general. Specifically, I felt drawn to manatees. I was compelled by their placid and friendly nature. I knew then and there that I wanted to dedicate my life to protecting these beautiful creatures.

No matter one’s lifestyle, whether it’s sedentary or super energetic, it is a necessity to go and experience nature every once in a while, as everything else pales in comparison to nature. While on our trip, I experienced diversity, appreciation, a heightened sense of well-being, and perseverance all at the same time. I was glad that I forced myself to travel through nature, as I familiarized myself with the wild and felt more comfortable. To be honest, I used to be very active when it came to nature involvement. My family and I

I enjoy going to Red River Gorge with my hammock and just the minimal camping gear. This is my time to get back to earth, my time to find my own peace. The time I spend in the wilderness is the time I relieve my stress. I sit and look upon all of God’s great gifts and creations. At Red River Gorge I can sit in silence all day and ponder over all of its beauty, all of its feelings, and smells. At this time I concentrate on my breath and the feelings my body has. I try to not think of my life’s problems. Instead, I try only live in the moment and be thankful for the time I

Everyone in life has fought or will fight an inner battle. Some know how to cope and work through it, whereas others turn to alcohol, drugs, sex or other destructive behavior. And others, they just run away. Some may be escaping their burdens and others consciously make the decision to leave everything behind in order to find themselves. The music video for “Ride,” which follows a nomadic young woman’s attempt to find herself, ultimately argues that escape may be critical for such self-discovery, and, paradoxically, that freedom and inner peace may be closely aligned with a certain type of insanity.

A home that can be considered paradise, if compared to its surroundings. A family that values filial piety and education. Yet when I step out of the house and put forth a foot into the street, my scenery changes, I see unimaginably amount of homeless people. Doesn’t matter the age or gender, they’re all out there. A glimpse into the eyes of the elderly revealed they lost hope; while looking at the younger generation, a small spark that was dimming could be seen. This was the environment where I grew up. It allowed me to be a selfless person who is considerate.

To hear the life in the poem and the welcoming of the symphony of reactions taking place by the environment makes me want to go

Ever since I was a kid, there has always been something utterly appealing about the open road. Something about how you could go on wonderful adventures if you so wished, but first, you had to be willing to get lost on a road that could lead absolutely anywhere. Willing to explore everything nature has to give you, and, only then, would you find true happiness.

When I was a child I had many different plans for what I wanted to be when I grew up, I went from a professional skateboarder to a police officer even to a psychirosist. These dreams often changed as I became older, but the dream of living a comfortable life never did. People often think I am talking about money when I say I want to live a comfortable life but in reality I want to live a life without worry. I am currently striving towards my ideal life, a comfortable income, a big yet cozy house and a family of my own.