We all daydream about getting away. Often, we imagine palm trees and sand between our toes or climbing mountains to spectacular views. We imagine these refreshers will happen over an academic break, but why should we wait until life calms down to refresh our minds and hearts? Without getaways, the routine of life can make us feel stuck and sad.
Now, we don’t have time or money for luxurious beach trips as college kids, but that doesn’t mean there are not other ways we can take a break from the real world. This Wednesday, I left my school work behind, traded my Nike shorts for flare jeans, and picked up a friend I had not seen in a while for a road trip to Memphis to see one of our favorite singers.
Photo Credits: Josh Sorenson
It was only an hour and a half trip there, and it was just the right segment of the day to watch the world go from golden hour to setting sun to nightfall. We shared stories about our year and reminisced a bit, and by the time we got to the concert, I felt rejuvenated and ready for a fun night. That’s the first way we can get away without a plane ticket: catching up with a friend. Some friends just feel like a breath of fresh air and often they are the ones that might not run in the same circles as us. The ones that you can spend weeks apart from and nothing that matters changes.
The second we got out of the car, the neon signs of Beale Street and the Orpheum sparkled, and I knew it was going to be a fun night. The theatre was absolutely beautiful, and it was an amazing show. The opening act had an incredible voice and Ben Rector put on the most hilarious, heartwarming, and fun concert I had ever been too. Going to a concert is almost like entering an alternate universe. You do not want to miss an amazing moment so you put all your attention in the moment and forget the stress of your everyday life.
This is not the only thing we can do to forget about the stress of our everyday life. It could be reading a book, listening to a speaker, watching the sunset, having a picnic with friends, or calling your mom. There are so many ways to break up the monotony of our oh-so-scheduled lives, but sometimes we have to take the initiative to plan our own little getaways into the day.
Often when we take these moments to refresh, we will find that we return to the drama and stress with a new perspective.