Returning to school after a relaxing week of traveling or spending time at home with family and friends is a difficult transition. After going on a trip for five days with friends, returning home for three days and re-acquainting myself with the joy of eating avocado toast for breakfast (with Everything But Bagel seasoning of course) and sleeping in a fluffy queen bed, playing with my dog, and going for long walks on the beach, the thought of coming back to school was uninviting. Having a week to relax and take a breath after a long first half of the semester is necessary; however, this time comes to an inevitable end.
I’ve spoken to many friends over the last couple of days who are having a hard time grappling with the transition back to school. Even with a rejuvenated spirit, papers, tests, and project deadlines squirm back into our lives and we feel overwhelmed. Talking to one of my friends on the phone yesterday, she mentioned that she was in a funk thinking about going back to school and needed some things to look forward to. Having something to look forward to is exactly what we all need to make us excited about finishing up the rest of the semester on a positive note.
Bucknell’s campus is beautiful in Spring and it makes me happy to think about warm weather and the bright cherry blossoms lining the quad. To make sure we all have something to look forward to, here are some ideas to make the most of the weeks we have left. I hope you will take inspiration from these ideas and adopt them into your weekly routine as you find useful.
- Quad sit on the Adirondack chairs with friends or bring a fun picnic blanket to sit on
- Play spikeball or a pick-up game on the quad
- Set up a hammock in the grove and relax
- Go for a walk or run on the Bucknell golf course (across route 15 behind the mods)
- Enjoy a nice stroll in downtown Lewisburg and across the bridge
- Walk to the Lewisburg Freez for a delicious ice cream or shake
- Eat outside at Amami
- Study outside on the Academic East deck for some fresh air and a beautiful view
- Ask a professor to lunch outside
- Go shopping downtown on Market Street
- Eat at the picnic tables outside of the Bison
- Watch the sunset on the quad
- Go on a sunset drive
- Hike Dale’s Ridge Trail
These are some of my favorite things to do in the Spring at Bucknell but there are many more creative ways to have fun on campus and in Lewisburg. Incorporating a little something to look forward to in your weekly routine will help you to stay calm, present, and grateful. Having something fun to look forward to also helps us to continue working hard and persevering through busy, stressful days. At its core, always having something, big or small, to look forward to is a form of self-care. I’m manifesting good energy and positivity for the last half of the Spring semester!