We tend to equate the end of summer with the end of adventures. We return from our carefree summers to our school and work routine, adjusting back into the "busy trap" as Tim Kreider discussed in his article for The New York Times (I could probably blog/rant on the whole "I'm so busy" thing but that's probably for another time). But, in the midst of exams, part-time jobs, and those Disney movie binges that college students are all too familiar with, we can find adventure -- just maybe not in the ways that immediately come to mind.
You can still find time for travel; it may be academic-related, such as attending a conference or going on a trip for a class or a club, but no matter what form, travel is always going to help you look at the world in a different way. But, even without traveling, there is plenty of room for adventures within your college town. One of my personal goals for my senior year is to explore my college town, the wonderfully quirky and endlessly diverse Tucson, Arizona, as much as possible. Within Tucson, there are beautiful hikes, an amazing yoga community, and a seemingly infinite number of coffee shops. There are also events and places within Tucson I have yet to experience, from the All Souls Procession in early November to yoga classes in the Museum of Contemporary Art (which sounds like the most Instagram-worthy thing ever) to the wide range of restaurants and food trucks. You can even explore within your campus and see what hidden gems there are. Within the U of A, there is the much-discussed Turtle Pond as well as an actually really cool science center. And, each campus has its own style, whether it's deeply historical or more modern, along with its own famous/touristy spots worth exploring.
So, spend a day being a tourist in your college town. Or, go on a walk around campus and see what you find. There is endless adventure to seek out and possibilities for new experiences everywhere, and the quotes below should convince you of this.
1. "Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road." - Jack Kerouac, On the Road
2."Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry." - Jack Kerouac
3."For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again."- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4."I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."- Kurt Vonnegut
5."This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time." - Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
6."Very often, a change of self is needed more than a change of scene." - A.C. Benson
7."Be here now."- Ram Dass, Be Here Now