Post-Midterms Weekend Journey Away
It’s official: I finished midterms, and I definitely needed a break to destress. With a lull in assignments after exams, I thought, ‘hey, this is the perfect time to go on a trip.’ And what better way to reset than with your friends! I was feeling a bit homesick, so this was the perfect solution: After briefly contemplating, I decided to pop into Wisconsin to visit my best friend from home at UW-Madison. In the past, I would take a bus from Union Station there, but this year I was able to bring my car to Chicago and keep it on campus, so I drove! It was an easy drive, and as my music was blasting, I couldn’t help but smile with excitement.
Friday morning, I was there. Being from the East coast, I don’t have many people from home to connect with in-person beyond the breaks, so it was really refreshing to see my friend and catch up. For the weekend, I was living a day in the life of a UW Badger, and it was wild! My friend and I went down the list of the best things to do there. We went on walks, saw a game, and had near-excessive amounts of coffee. I love being able to see what life is like for my friends, since we all go to such different types of colleges. It made me so happy to understand her experiences, and made me appreciate my own more as well—definitely cannot imagine walking 30+ minutes to go to class versus taking a quick train ride!
Sunday afternoon, I was back on the road to my home in Chicago, and by the early evening I was cooking dinner and getting ready for the week ahead. At DePaul, I feel like it is really easy to go on spontaneous weekend adventures—even to different states. All you have to do is budget your time and work efficiently during the week, and keeping a good balance becomes very easy. I love that there is so much to do inside Chicago and convenient ways to go beyond the city and explore something new.
Feeling refreshed and peaceful from my weekend away, I am definitely ready to tackle the remainder of Fall Quarter. Living in Chicago has been full of so many opportunities and experiences that I didn’t think would be possible—even far from NJ, I am still close to my people and the feeling of home.
– Breanne K