The sound of my alarm filled the silence of my room before the sun started to rise. The chill of the morning woke me up as I warmed my car up and headed to pick up three friends for a day trip to Indianapolis.
We drank coffee and ate breakfast beneath a pink colored sky. The quietness of the morning kept our sleep deprived minds at peace as we got on the road before the hustle and bustle of people getting ready for the day.
At that point we only had one thing on our agenda – make it to Lucas Oil Stadium.
We successfully accomplished that task, watched the IU football team lose another game, took some photos, left the stadium and spontaneously decided to head to Fishers.
Because why not? What did we have to lose? Nothing. What did we have to gain? Unforgettable memories. Bonding. Adventures. The list goes on and on.
One of my friends is from Fishers, so she gave us a tour of the town, her home and her old schools. We got dinner. We ate ice cream and had a little photoshoot. We walked. We talked. We laughed. We sang. We sat in silence together. It felt like the day could go on and on.
The windows were down, the 10-minute version of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” blasted out my car speakers, it was close to sunset and we were on our back to Bloomington. I wished that the day didn’t have to end. But it made me realize something.
Adventures don’t always have to be huge for them to be memorable. It can be exploring a city in your state that you’ve never been to before. Or driving an hour with no specific purpose and seeing where you end up.
There are so many cities and little towns in each state that have so much to offer but are often overlooked. There are new places to discover everywhere that are deeply meaningful to the people living there.
[Related: COLUMN: Breaking Free: Sometimes, you just have to dance it out]
I saw how important my friend’s home and town are to her. I saw where she grew up, and I thought about how much I’ve grown myself and how there are times I wish I could go back.
This trip made us all realize how we are all growing up. How we’re graduating college, or getting closer to graduating college. How it’s getting to the time of having to look for a job or internship. How each day we are growing farther apart from our parents, because we’re needing them less as we get older. How I won’t be able to see these friends every day once graduation comes.
In college, it’s easy to get wrapped up in academics, resume building, preparing for the future, the list of assignments that need to get done and so on. But sometimes, you need a break from all that stuff that fills your head every day and live in the present. Because one day, the situation that you’re in will change.
So take a day to visit a friend’s hometown. Go on a spontaneous short trip.
Break routine. Take a moment to forget about the responsibilities you have and enjoy the present.
Natalie Fitzgibbons (she/her) is a junior studying journalism with a minor in American studies. She hopes to inspire people with her words and make a positive impact in people’s lives and the world.
