Recently, I have been feeling overwhelmed from life. The workload of school and the stress from my job has piled up high. I have felt like I am in an endless cycle of doing the same-old daily routine. I have always wanted to break out of my day-to-day routine, but it’s hard to do that with the responsibility that weighs on my shoulders. I thought about ways that I could spice up my life and eventually came to the conclusion that I need to put myself out there more. Spending so much time at work or studying, I rarely have time for myself. I made a deal with myself, though, that I am going to try one new thing per week. This way, I can change up my routine without disregarding my responsibilities. I am very unfamiliar with areas surrounding my hometown because I rarely ever escape my comfort zone. By trying new things, I intend to explore new types of food and restaurants, demo classes, go to different shops and boutiques, explore museums, and anything else that I may come across. I am going to learn to escape my comfort zone and try new things.
This week, I eased myself in. I have heard so many people raving about Dave and Busters since I was a kid, but I have never been there myself. I figured, why not give it a try? So, I grabbed a friend and went to see what all the hype was about. I went to the Dave and Busters in Westlake, Cleveland.
As soon as I pulled up, I could tell this would be an experience of firsts. Having only ever been to the arcade in the back of my local bowling alley, which, mind you, is probably the size of a small classroom, I was in awe at how big the building was. By the looks of the parking lot, it was a pretty popular place to go. The inside of the building was very modern and pretty, and from the second I walked in the door, there was a lot going on. Children were running in every which direction from their parents as people were waiting in line to purchase tokens for the games. With all of the surrounding chaos, I was concerned about where to leave my belongings. Conveniently, there was a coat check that was only one dollar per coat. After checking my coat, I made my way to the end of the line to purchase my own tokens. The line moved very quickly, I ended up waiting for about five minutes maximum. The tokens were then loaded onto a card, something I had never seen before.
Upon entering the game-room, I finally understood why I had a card of tokens instead of actual tokens. All of the games were extremely modern and were operated by inserting your card into the “token reader”. This was extremely convenient because not only do you not have to carry around a bunch of tokens, but you can also check the amount of tokens you have left on your card, as well as the number of tickets you have won in total. The endless amount of games to choose from provided something for everyone. They had simulated target practice, dancing games, gambling-type activities, sports, and more. I found myself to be a little overwhelmed, and did a few laps around the building before deciding what to play first. The building was extremely crowded, and with nearly every game I wanted to play, I found myself waiting in line. It became apparent that tokens go by very quickly due to the fact that some games require up to ten tokens per play.
After the first hour and the second purchase of tokens, my friend and I were starving. With two bars and one grand dining room, the wait on the dining room was nearly two hours. We put our name on the waiting list but still tried to find a seat at one of the bars because we had worked up an appetite. After not being able to find a seat anywhere, we ended up waiting for the grand dining room to call our names.
To say the very least, the process of being seated to eat was hectic. After taking your name and phone number, a text is sent when your table is ready. After finally being seated, it took another twenty minutes to even order our food. I ordered a cheeseburger and a slushy drink, and split an appetizer with my friend. My meal cost thirty dollars and I couldn’t finish it because it was cold and undercooked. I was extremely disappointed in paying for an expensive meal (especially for just a cheeseburger and fries) and having it taste that bad. The service was very slow and it took quite some time to be able to pay and leave the grand dining room.
After finishing our subpar meal, we continued to play games for an hour or so. Since the majority of games required a large amount of tokens, I ended up spending quite a bit of money; in total, about ninety dollars. I had earned nearly 3,200 tickets.
I then visited prize store, a wreck in and of itself, to see what prize I could claim. Anything in my interest was 4,000 tickets or more. I walked away with no prize, but I apparently am able to save my tickets on my card for whenever I come back. (Hopefully then I can have as much fun as Beyoncé seems to have had.)
All in all, Dave and Busters was a fun experience but I would only go once a year at most. It is extremely expensive, and as a college student I felt pained to have spent $120.00 in an arcade. Although still unsure of what next week will hold, I am going to find something that completely takes me out of my comfort zone. Hopefully next week will be a more successful adventure.