Walking around campus is probably one of the only times I realize how loud my thoughts actually are. On the outside, I’m just walking from one place to another. My headphones are in, minding my own business, trying to get where I need to go. However, there’s a constant stream of conversations, thoughts, and random overthinking that never really stops.
I used to think I was just “thinking a lot” in general, but I’ve noticed it’s especially noticeable when I’m walking alone. Something about being in motion, surrounded by people, but not really interacting with them, makes my brain fill in all the silence. I’ll be thinking about what I need to do next, replaying things that already happened, or just getting completely lost in random ideas that don’t even matter.
It’s not even stressful or deep. Sometimes it’s practical, sometimes it’s unnecessary, and sometimes it’s just completely random. But it all shows up in the same place, while I’m walking across campus, moving from one part of my day to another, having full conversations in my head that no one else can hear.
food thoughts
One of the most consistent conversations I have in my head while walking around campus is definitely about food. It sounds simple, but it somehow occupies a lot more mental space than I expected. I’ll be thinking about what I’m going to eat, where I’m going to go, and whether I should just stick to my usual spot or switch it up. Sometimes I’ll even mentally plan it before I’ve fully decided, as if I’m trying to optimize the simplest decision of my day.
And it’s not even a complicated decision most of the time, it’s more like a loop, thinking about the same few options over and over. I’ll consider where I went last time, what I’m in the mood for, and somehow still end up leaning towards the same dining hall I usually go to. By the time I actually get there, I’ve spent more time thinking about it in my head than I did actually making the decision.
Exam & academic thoughts
Another type of conversation that constantly shows up in my head while I’m walking across the campus happens right before exams, or when I know I have assignments due. Even if I’m not actively studying in that moment, my brain still manages to bring it up. I’ll be walking to class trying to focus on something else, but in the background, I’m already thinking about what I should’ve studied more, what topics might show up, and how prepared I feel.
It’s not always full-on panic, but it’s this quiet checklist that keeps running through my head. I’ll think about what I still need to review, what I might forget, and how I’m going to manage everything after class. Sometimes I’ll even tell myself I’ll fix it later, as I’ll magically become more productive as soon as I sit down, but while I’m walking, it just stays in the back of my mind.
And then there are the moments where I try to push those thoughts away and focus on something else, but they still find their way back in. It’s like my brain uses walking time to remind me of everything I need to deal with later, even when I’m not ready to think about it yet.
walking interruptions & random thoughts
Not all my thoughts while walking across campus are planned or structured, though. A lot of them come from random interruptions in real time. Like when I’m crossing the street, and a car doesn’t slow down at all, just speeds past like I’m not even there. In my head, I’m just thinking, okay… good thing I already stopped anyway. Then I keep walking as if nothing happened, but it completely breaks whatever train of thought I was just on.
Or sometimes it’s just people passing by in general. I’ll catch myself briefly wondering where everyone is going, or how everyone seems to be moving with such purpose, while I’m trying to get from one place to another. It’s not really deep; it’s just those split-second thoughts that come and go while I’m walking.
And then just as quickly as they show up, I go right back to whatever I was thinking about before, whether it’s food, exams, or something completely random that I’ll probably forget about five minutes later.
I guess I never really thought about how much I’m actually thinking while I’m walking across campus. On the outside, it probably looks like I’m just going from place to place, but in my head, there’s always something going on: food exams, random thoughts, or things I probably won’t even remember later. It’s kind of chaotic, but also normal for me at this point. Walking across campus isn’t really quiet; it just looks like it is.