Ever since the temperatures climbed back into the 70s, finally signaling the start of spring (and the end of what seemed like an everlasting winter, thank God), I’ve made it a goal to spend more time outside on campus. During the coldest months, I avoided going out as much as possible just to escape that burning cold that manages to reach every inch of skin.
As it does for a lot of people, this winter has made me miserable. Walking to class felt like navigating the tundra, and most days I found myself walking very briskly, counting down the seconds until I could be back inside. All I could think about was how much I missed the sun, being outside, or even just existing without feeling like my fingers were about to fall off.
Now that the weather has finally shifted, I’ve realized how I usually take those things for granted during the warmer seasons. When spring and summer roll around, it’s easy to stay inside because of the humidity, or get caught up in being busy without appreciating how nice it actually feels just to be in the sun. So this time, I decided to be more intentional about it. Even though my schedule is usually packed, I’ve been making an effort to step outside for no other reason than to be outside.
Admittedly, because I’m booked and busy, a lot of that time ends up being at night. It’s still a little chilly, but it’s nothing compared to January, and it’s finally comfortable enough to slow down and stay outside for a while. Lately, I’ve been going on late-night walks, usually around midnight, with a couple of friends. There’s something really peaceful about campus at that hour, and it almost feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
Sometimes, we’ll end up out on the athletics field, lying on the Bonnies logo, just watching the stars. Even though recently the turf has been wet, we’ll bring out a few blankets and make the best of it. It’s such a simple thing, but it gives us a chance to pause and breathe, especially now when everything feels more stressful as the semester is coming to an end. For a little while, nothing else really matters. We even made a pact to try to stargaze every night until the end of the year (but we’ll see how it goes).
More than anything, it’s become a way to spend time together before we’re all separated for the summer. Talking about literally anything that comes to mind or sitting in comfortable silence while a song faintly plays in the background from one of our phones has quickly become one of my favorite parts of my day. So I encourage everyone who lives on campus to try to do the same: give yourself a few moments of peace, make sure you’re spending time with the people who you care about, and remind yourself of how breathtaking the world is.
But maybe find your own field to do that… this one’s taken.