I live in a world that’s constantly speeding around me. I’m afraid to take an hour off from social media, fearing that I’ll miss another concert bombing or an Instagram post from another friend who has just gotten engaged. I recently took a day where I turned off my phone for most of the day- except to send my mom pictures of the pretty water, of course- and spent it in my city (Saint Petersburg, Florida) by myself, finding inspiration from the world again by doing my favorite things. Here’s how my day went:
I first started off by waking up at 10 o’clock, having a large glass of ice water before hitting the gym to get my body pumped for the day. After my trip to the gym, I headed back to my dorm, where I put on an outfit I felt good in, grabbed my car keys, and headed to to my favorite park in the city (Vinoy Park, if you’re familiar with the area). It was such a beautiful day out, and I spent many hours just sitting at the edge of the water listening to the world around me.
One of my favorite de-stressing things to do is read, so of course I brought a book with me- which I finished in one sitting. After finishing the book, going on a walk and scavenging for cute boys, I hopped back in my car, rolled the windows down, and went dream-house hunting through one of the beautiful neighborhoods that sits by the water in St. Pete. It’s always such a good time loudly singing lyrics to Taylor Swift with the wind blowing in the car, as you drive around with not an eye on the time, or a care in the world. It’s quite freeing.
After driving around for a bit, I found myself at a new rolled ice cream place downtown. I’d never tried rolled ice cream before, but it seemed like a wonderful idea- and let me tell you- it was delicious. Rolled ice cream is exactly what it sounds like; it first starts out as a liquid cream that is poured onto an ice cold base. The base freezes the cream, and then the staff making the ice cream uses a tool to roll the now-solid form of the ice cream into rolls (pictured below). If you ever find yourself in St. Pete, it’s called the new place is called Iceburg, and it’s on Central Avenue. I highly recommend it.
The last thing I can say I learned about spending this day alone was how connected I felt to myself. I listened to a lot of music, so a good playlist is essential. It was also the first time in a while that I was able to write [poetry] again, and it felt amazing.
If you’re feeling clogged or find yourself getting dizzy in how fast-paced our world moves, take a day to yourself. Visit your favorite places, turn off your phone, treat yourself to an ice cream or brownie. I feel so refreshed and inspired to come back to my studies stronger than before, and I promise that it will do the same for you.
HCXOXO
Hayley Garron