If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?

Sample One

I would choose to spend time talking with some of the best songwriters alive today: Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Chuck Berry. I’ve had an interest in music for as long as I can remember, from writing song lyrics with my cousin on the school bus to forming a “band” with a classmate, using a small Casio keyboard and a crudely homemade set of drums as our instruments. I continued with my interest in music by playing the alto saxophone in the school band and then teaching myself to play electric guitar during high school and college. More recently, I’ve taken up the piano and enrolled in a formal course just last semester to speed up my learning. I’ve even become ambitious enough to compose some original music for piano.

I admire these particular songwriters for being revolutionary thinkers and very effective at communicating their ideas. As an amateur, it would be a dream to spend a day with such accomplished musicians. And I would really like to pry into Bob Dylan’s mind (incidentally, something few people have ever done) to find out what inspired him to write such controversial and creative songs. However, I am humble enough to know that I’m probably too unaccomplished a musician to fully utilize this experience on my own, which is why I’d put all three musicians in the same room at the same time; the group of them together would certainly stimulate intriguing discussion among all of us! And though it might be out of the question, perhaps I’d even ask them to play a rendition of “Johnny B. Goode” together.

Sample Two

With my free day, I would transport myself to my grandparent’s doorstep in Savannah for Norooz, Persian New Year. I eagerly enter their house yelling their names in Persian, “Mahin Joon! Baba!” Upon seeing me, my grandparents shuffle to the door with wide arms and equally wide grins. I give both of them hugs and two kisses on each cheek. Smelling the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen, I shriek, “Khoresteh Kharafhs” before dashing into the kitchen for a quick taste of this Persian stew. I give my grandmother another big kiss for making my favorite meal despite her arthritic hands.

Upon entering the living room, I greet other members of my family who flew in from all over the US to celebrate our most cherished holiday Norooz. I wander to the dining room to see the table set with the haft-seen—symbolic objects that bring prosperity and ward off evil. As the New Year approaches, we gather around this vibrant table to share delicious food, our hopes for the New Year, our deeply-rooted Persian traditions and, most importantly, our love for each other.

Around this table there is never a dull moment. Heated political discussions alternate with outbursts of laughter, and the food never stops coming. Every Noruz reminds me of how proud I am of everyone in my family and of my heritage. Their accomplishments in the US, their sacrifices for their children, the lessons they bestowed upon me, and their joy for life are a constant inspiration.