It’s easy to get sucked into the comfort of your daily routines. Get out of bed, go to class, grab lunch, study, spend some time with friends, crash and scroll socials, repeat. Everyone says that college is supposed to be the best years of your life, and that the most memorable parts of it are the unexpected ones. How does that happen, though? How do you find those moments for yourself?
As a relatively proactive person, it’s hard to feel like I don’t have control over my ability to experience these moments. It feels weird to simply sit around and expect things to happen to me, but there have been an equal number of times where I’ve been totally productive and still felt like I was missing something.
Here’s what people don’t tell you: letting exciting things happen to you is an active choice. The secret to finding those magical, unexpected moments is in the decision to digress from your daily routine. You’ll never be able to come back to your roommate with an epic side quest story if your days and decisions look the same on Monday as they do on Thursday.
The goal is to make it your personal mission to seek out small adventures. For me, that looked like a resolution to go to as many unequivocally random campus events as possible. For you, it might be trying to say “yes” to plans more times than you say “no.” Maybe you decide that you want to talk to everyone you meet in the elevator this week, or perhaps you study in a new location every Tuesday.
By doing this, you’re breaking yourself out of the routines that unintentionally keep you stagnant. The point of a side quest isn’t to force a life-changing escapade, but rather to allow yourself to experience the unknown.
I know this sounds a little daunting, so here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned from my own attempts to court the unexpected.
Do it even if it’s a tiny change
My first attempt to break out of my daily routine was to try the blueberry muffin at every coffee shop walkable from campus. It was a small change, but it made a difference.
Now, I know campus and College Town infinitely better than I did at the beginning of the year, I have a go-to coffee order, and I’ve found alternate study spots for when Strozier feels more like The Hunger Games than the library. I feel like my low-effort adventure has more than paid off! Plus, I can now rank the blueberry muffin game of Tallahassee, which has to come in handy someday.
Do it unseriously
When you frame leaving your comfort zone as a wonderfully silly side adventure, it completely changes the way you think. Instead of the open mic night being scary, it’s just another thing you’re doing to have a story to tell. When the goal is to experience instead of succeed perfectly, the pressure is off. You can embarrass yourself. You can fail. You can absolutely kill it. Either way, it’s a win.
Adventures like this are what make you a cooler, more interesting person. By defining success as completing the thing you wanted to do instead of the level at which you complete it, you’re free to simply enjoy where you’re at. Everything gets more fun when you do it for the plot instead of the trophy.
Do it alone
A casting call for extras for a film student’s movie popped up in my email. I had found my next side quest. I asked my friends if anyone was interested, but my choices were to go alone or not at all. I went, and ended up with a firsthand tour of FSU’s incredible film school, a catered breakfast, and a credit in a directing master student’s film.
Now, I’m working on my own short film, and can use the invaluable knowledge I picked up from being on set to navigate my own creative project. I almost let the fear of being alone confiscate the confidence I gained, and I’m so grateful that I didn’t.
Do it even if you don’t feel like it
Weeks ago, I had spotted a poster for what looked like a small band’s concert, and bookmarked it as something I wanted to check out. On the day of, I wasn’t feeling great, and almost gave up going in favor of Netflix and an early bedtime. 20 minutes before the event started, I pried myself out of bed and went, if only to fulfill the promise I made to myself that I’d do something new this week.
What followed was one of my favorite adventures by far. The poster I thought was for a band was actually for a worship night on the top of a school parking garage. I ended up talking with college-age missionaries from California who facilitated nights like this all over the United States. Our conversation led to a fast food dinner that lasted late into the night and connections across the country.
I never could have guessed that a misunderstood flyer would lead to a night like that. This is your reminder to go to that event you promised yourself you’d attend, even if you don’t feel like it.
The art of the side quest is one that you don’t need permission or perfection to start. It’s the best way to get to know your college and yourself a little better. Best of luck side questing fearlessly!
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