The hoary question

My eyes slowly adjusted to the blackness as I looked through the window, the sounds of shuffling students gathering around me and filling the quiet.

My internal switch flicked, pulling me back to the moment, and I gathered my books and tucked them safely into my knapsack. I pulled the sturdy zipper closed, the kind of dependable engineering I had come to expect from Timberland, a brand that remained one of my steady favourites. It symbolised durability with a touch of style, not unlike the version of myself I still hoped to become. Laughable, perhaps, but everyone needs goals to move forward. I zipped up my navy blue Gore-Tex winter jacket and prepared to navigate the cold walk back to the warmth of my residence.