Bored, But At Peace

By Ivana Reategui

There's no feeling like getting ready for the first party of the year. Your doors are open in hopes of the right people finding you. You and your new friends blast music, eat snacks, and excitement cruises through your bodies. You can't help but feel extremely nervous, and at the same time, totally ready to get your college life started. It's what you've been anticipating all summer, after all, what you worked hard towards all those years and, hopefully, everything you could've hoped for.

Subconsciously, you and your group of friends start a new routine: you spend every day of the week looking forward to the weekend, then once the weekend comes, you can't help but wonder what’s next. There are themed events and activities every night and you start feeling like you have to experience it all because that's what you've been told college is for. Everything is truly everywhere and all at once. Suddenly, however, after a couple weekends of dancing the same tango, you start feeling just a little burnt out. Your Sundays are spent recovering from the two days prior, and more often than not, the rest of your week is spent that way as well: a recovery period. Although there are times when your body is telling you to give it a break and rest, since you only live once, the memories will outlive the sickness.

You get stuck in a cycle. Going out, getting sick, repeat. And at some point in the night, the room begins to spin and you know you've overdone it again. That first weekend you decide to stay in feels like a weekend retreat to the Bahamas. Although you feel like something is missing, you've gained something far more precious — peace. And, although it's an addictive cycle to fall into, there's nothing as healthy in life as balance.