Ruhika, Week 15 - Just How Fast The Night Changes

Before moving to Fremont in 8th grade, I lived in Irvine for 9 years, completing all of elementary school. Something I learned was that every single school district has their own fun way of giving their students emails. FUSD’s unique system is the first three letters of your first name, first three letters of your last name, and the last three numbers of your ID. However, in Irvine (IUSD) it would be your graduation year, last name, first name. So mine was 26goelruhika@iusd.org. Upon receiving this email when I was only in kindergarten, I genuinely thought that the year 2026 would never occur. It was just so far away that it seemed impossible to ever reach that day; approaching 2026 was so exciting for young Ruhika, as she genuinely looked forward to being an adult. However, now I find myself trying to freeze time for as long as possible, because I don't know how quickly time is passing by in the blink of an eye. 

Today during Flex, I was rotting. I had just completed my stressful math test (it was hard, but I am pretty sure I passed, so who cares) and I could not bring myself to study anything else. I know that in the future, I am going to be really pissed off with myself. I have so many things I can do; if I do even a little bit of it, I can avoid a disastrous situation for future Ruhika. 

But I can't help just pushing back everything I do. I need a little moment of fun, just so I can extend the joy a little longer. In my efforts to waste time, I had the itch to sketch. I haven't actually drawn anything quite honestly for years, but I was bored. I Googled random things to draw. I couldn't decide until I thought of Dr Seuss, aiming for whimsical and silly. The first image that popped up was the cover for the book Oh, the Places You'll Go!


Cover of Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss


It was an instant flashback, like a candle carrying a nostalgic scent.  Every year I have had one teacher that would read their students this book as a parting message to prepare us as we were getting older and slowly approaching graduation. It kind of reminded me that I can't just keep reminiscing about my past memories and avoid thinking about the future. The future is not a bad thing. I know it's scary how quickly things change. Best friends become strangers, big moments become whispers in the back of your head. But I don't think it's as bad as it seems. The future is just the chance to make more memories. 


Comments

  1. RitishaApril 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM

    Hi Ruhika,
    The picture you used of the book illustrated and written by Dr. Suess grabbed my attention. Also your blog is so relatable 2026 seemed like a totally out of the world time zone where elephants would be flying and robots would take over the world. And yes, growing up is stressful but I think the reason the world seems to move around us so fast is because we also are always moving with it. As teenagers that live in a highly competitive area- the Bay Area it is hard to find a moment of rest- of nothingness. We are always continuously working towards something, whether that's tests, getting our grades higher, an internship or something else. But taking those small moments like you did in FLEX is what makes us take a step back and breathe. I loved the last sentence of your blog because it really helped me see things in a different perspective! Thank you for sharing your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yumi LiuApril 30, 2025 at 11:50 AM

    Hi Ruhika! I found myself relating to your blog so much. Even as a junior, I still feel as if I am the same sixth grader that is on the two week break because of COVID. I feel that time moves by so fast but we are moving along with it so it is barely noticeable. I loved the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss in kindergarten, and seeing Dr. Seuss again in your blog really showed me how much I have grown physically and mentally. I find myself wanting to stay in the present more and more when going to college seems so close now, and I won’t ever believe it when yesterday still feels like I just entered highschool. Nonetheless, I agree with you that the future is simply more opportunity to grow and make memories along the way.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alexander NatividadApril 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM

    Hi Ruhika,
    Thanks for your old email, now I can go hack it. Just kidding, but I really liked reading your story about transferring over from Irvine. Time does fly by incredibly fast, and it is important to savor the last few moments before we graduate. I can relate to your Flex stress as me spending time on track forces me to cram most of my work and studies into one small hour after brunch. The Dr. Seuss book you include was one I used to own until I gave it to my little cousins. I also find the title ironic now having grown much older than my childhood days of reading books like that. Great blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sara SanthoshApril 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM

    Hi Ruhika,
    I loved how your blog was balanced between humor and reflection—your old IUSD email brought back how far away 2026 felt to all of us. Your example of doodling in Flex really did take me back to that feeling of wanting to stop time, even for a moment. I also loved how the "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" cover was a turning point in your blog—it was such a subtle reminder that the future is not something to be feared but to grow towards.That was a beautiful blog to read!

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