How Side Quests Have Helped me Romanticize my Life

Lately with everything that is going on in my life I have been struggling to feel accomplished outside of my studies. When I get free time, I find myself going straight to Instagram to scroll. My goal for April is to cut down my screen time and get outside to enjoy life. You might be asking yourself, what does it mean to romanticize life and how can I do it? Romanticizing life is finding moments to do things you love that bring you joy. I like to do little side quests that help me get out of the everyday cycle and make me feel like I am doing something new. Though it is up to interpretation for everyone and can be as casual or crazy as you would like. I do know when I got the idea to start doing this I struggled to find a place to start. Lucky for you I have compiled a list of ideas to help get you inspired.

1. Read a book outside in a comfy spot
2. Try a new cafe (bonus points if you get a sweet treat)
3. Do karaoke
4. Host a slide show night with your friend group
5. Have a picnic in the park
6. Write a poem
7. Have movie night
8. Make a new recipe
9. Scrapbook
10. Visit a planetarium
11. Find a restaurant in your town (or near you) that you have never tried before and go try it
12.  Explore a different state
13.  Treat yourself to a spa night 
14.  Dance in the rain 
15.  Start a vlog channel
16.  Do that one thing you have always been wanting to do but haven’t yet
17.  Write letters to friends and family
18.  Color in a coloring book
19.  Go for a walk
20.  Find a town in your state that you have never been to and drive to its landmark 

I hope this list can be a starting point for you to get out of a stressful or bored time and find a little joy. Life can easily become mundane and feel like a loop but when you take time for yourself you will find your productivity and attitude change for the better. For me I like scheduling little activities into my week so I have something to look forward to. It can also be used as a checkpoint for getting all of your coursework done before you do it, which I often try to do, though with little success. But overall we are all working to enjoy life and us college students are working to better our future. Give yourself some grace, let yourself enjoy downtime, and feel like the main character that you are. 

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• sidequest