Neev - Week 15: Reliving memories
Last November, my club soccer team was invited to play at a college showcase in San Diego. For weeks before the trip even started, my teammates and I, the people I've known and have been tight-knit friends with since as early as second grade, had already made so many plans on how we would "make memories" on the trip. The soccer part of the trip consisted only of pregame workouts and three games (which, over a total trip length of three and a half days, meant we had plenty of time to "make memories").
Once our club managers and coaches told us we would be staying at a 4.5-star resort, those plans only got more exciting and memorable. The night we reached Carlsbad (the rich outskirt of San Diego), we had a game only 15 minutes after our arrival, and due to our 10-hour drive, our entire team hit the sack quite early.
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| I took this picture of the view from our resort's rooftop pool. Whenever I see it, I am reminded of the serene, peaceful feeling I had when I was there. |
However, it was during the night after our second day of the trip that the most memories were made. After our second game, which went much better than the first because we weren't dead tired after 10 hours of travel, we had the day to ourselves to tour downtown Carlsbad and make as many memories as we would like to. That night, after such an eventful day, nobody was willing to follow the 11 PM curfew our coaches had set. Something tells me our coaches knew that, too, but decided to let it slide for the "memories". At 12:30 AM, after having run a whole team FIFA tournament, three of my teammates and I (all three of us having been on the same team since 3rd grade) decided to take to the roads of the resort.
The resort was a rich people's destination, spanning 400 acres of luxurious suites and amenities. We needed to take it all in. At around 2 AM, when we were on the rooftop swimming pool overlooking the peaceful hills of So-Cal and downtown San Diego, hotel security came up to us and quietly said, "I know damn well none of y'all are allowed to be here because of hotel regulations, but hey just don't break any other rules and I'll forget I ever saw y'all here."
That was all the approval we needed. Until 4:30 AM, we toured as much as there was to the resort, covered in a peaceful darkness, flinching at every loud sound or security golf cart.
However, when I relive these memories, I don't remember the things we did or the places we saw. I remember, and relive, the emotions I attached to them. I don't remember how it was finding the stairs to the upstairs swimming pool, I remember the thrill that took over our minds when we did find them. I don't remember me physically getting up and staring for a minute at the serenity of the late night hills and city lights below, but I remember the ambience I got from them. When I relive these memories, I relive how they felt, not how they truly were, and I believe this is true for many memories, whether it be our childhoods, parties, or even time spent with families. I believe living in the moment and capturing the emotions you felt when "making memories" is just as important, if not more important, than the actions that make the memories themselves.
Your idea that we remember the emotions associated with an experience more than we do the actual experience is interesting. Adding on to this idea, I believe we may better remember the feeling associated with the environment. I was recently in Washington D.C., where I had a similar late-night experience walking around the National Mall at 3:00 AM. When I look back on this experience, I can’t clearly remember the places I went to, or even what they looked like. The clearest thing I remember is the general environment—I remember the pitch-black night, only illuminated by the lights next to each monument. I remember the peacefulness of the city at 3:00 AM.
ReplyDeleteWhereas your post argues that emotions are the most recognizable parts of our memories, I would argue that the ambience and environment are more important and memorable. I believe it is the environment that reminds of the emotions associated with a memory, not the other way around.
Hey Neev! Your blog actually brought back many memories I forgot about. The late night exploration around hotels with friends during sports events is so relatable. When I would compete at Disneyland every year for dance, my friends and I would also sneak around the hotel after hours, discovering new places and sneaking into hidden areas to hangout and chat. Although I don’t exactly remember where we went, I can still recall the thrilling feeling of trying not to get caught while enjoying the quietness of the night, away from the crowds of people who were asleep. It’s crazy that you guys were up til 4:30 AM, but it must’ve been a great experience. It’s definitely true that living in the moment is most important, rather than focusing on making memories as we may forget to actually enjoy our time.
ReplyDeleteHi Neev. I know this sounds basic, but that sounds incredibly fun. But really, I mean it. The grandness of this event combined with your escapades makes your memories regarding staying up all night and having fun a night to remember. As many people have said, high school is a time to have fun and make memories. Bending the rules in an innocent way like staying up late sounds so thrilling and adventurous. Your descriptions of going out and being worried about getting caught is bringing about a slight rush of adrenaline in my veins too. Personally, I get way too scared to do anything like that, but I really do hope I get to have an experience like that (and on top of that I would not mind going to a 4.5 star hotel). Also, kudos to the adults during that day for being so understanding. I feel like they really understand that high schoolers need to have some fun (as long as they do not break some major rules, of course). So shout out to your coaches for understanding that you guys have been practicing for so long. And most of all, shout out to that one security guard for not wanting to impede on a once-in-a-lifetime of a high school experience that you guys might remember for the rest of your lives. This makes me think about what kind of fun I should try before I become an adult, so thanks!
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