Written by Mikaela Gantz
I am a very busy person. I have 7 classes, numerous
clubs and activities, and 4 jobs on campus plus a pending
job off campus. I often schedule out my life to the point
where my calendar is more full than it is empty. If you
need it, this is your sign to not do what I’m doing. I love
my life, but being busy all the time is unsustainable. So, I
made a pact with my boyfriend to do something just for
us one weekend a month. My goal of visiting 5 national
parks this year goes perfectly alongside this pact so our
first trip is planned for the Great Smoky mountains next
weekend. I love hiking, camping, and climbing and all of
these are available at the smokies. Because my boyfriend
doesn’t climb we won’t be doing any of that, HOWEVER,
we will be doing some camping in my new (thrifted for 3
dollars) MSR tent.
My love for the outdoors is one of my biggest
incentives for living my life the way I do. It’s part of why
I’m going to law school for environmental law, and a huge
reason I found my happiness and my passion. I love
hiking, camping, kayaking, climbing, and even caving
which is ironic given my claustrophobia. The outdoors
has always been my home and I am incredibly happy to
adventure with my boyfriend who shares my passion and
love for nature. Life is meant to be lived, not portioned
out as if you can control it all. These breaks remind me
who I am, why I work as hard as I do, and ultimately what
matters. I highly encourage anyone who is able to do so
to take a weekend or even a day trip with a significant
other or some friends. College gives us a plethora of
opportunities to live life to the fullest, I think we should all
be taking advantage of that 🙂
