In college I used to road trip every 2 weeks to either Ames or Kearney, NE. My boyfriend at the time went to Iowa State while I was at the University of Colorado at Boulder. We started dating our senior year and we made it our commitment to see each other as often as we could. First semester was easy since every month we had some kind of a national holiday where it was easy to take a 3 or 4 day weekend. We would either meet in Ames, Boulder, or Kearney which was almost exactly half-way for the two of us.
Now, it was easy to get away in college; no one really cares if you take a long weekend and most of my attendance-strict profs were on those Tuesday/Thursday classes so I usually left Thursday after class. Most of my friends weren’t too understanding; they couldn’t think why anyone would willingly drive anywhere between 5-9 hours every other week. Sometimes thinking back I wonder the same thing, but I think it was because on those long drives through Nebraska and farm country, I finally felt at peace.
The summer before I started my last year of college was the summer my family split up. Kristin was in New Zealand and she was my best friend at the time. With both my family and best friend gone, I was really depressed and felt like I really had nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Going to Iowa or Nebraska was my only sense of escape from reality. And quite honestly, college in general isn’t reality.
On those long ass drives, I would sit there and think about everything going on in my life with whatever music in the background. It was comforting sitting in the car with mostly straight roads and letting your mind wander for as long as you liked. I just felt really peaceful and although the drives were boring and I would get ridiculously sleepy behind the wheel, I finally felt at peace with my life.
It was also so nice to know that as soon as I got to wherever, I was going to see my boyfriend who was as excited as I was to see him. It was so nice to have that because like I said, I felt like I didn’t have anyone who really cared about me back in Colorado. David and I were in that awkward stage in a friendship because he just got back from study abroad and didn’t feel happy being back in the states. He had his own issues and as did I and neither of us took the time to talk to each other about them because we were so absorbed with our own.
What I really miss are those long drives through twilight, through mid-day, through rain, fog, and sunshine, through starlight and moonlight, and feeling completely at peace with the world.
Yeah, I can go ahead and take long road trips to nowhere. I don’t think I’d get that same freeing feeling like I did in college because like I said, that time in my life wasn’t reality, this was something I did to escape from the life I couldn’t handle or deal with.
Now, it was easy to get away in college; no one really cares if you take a long weekend and most of my attendance-strict profs were on those Tuesday/Thursday classes so I usually left Thursday after class. Most of my friends weren’t too understanding; they couldn’t think why anyone would willingly drive anywhere between 5-9 hours every other week. Sometimes thinking back I wonder the same thing, but I think it was because on those long drives through Nebraska and farm country, I finally felt at peace.
The summer before I started my last year of college was the summer my family split up. Kristin was in New Zealand and she was my best friend at the time. With both my family and best friend gone, I was really depressed and felt like I really had nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Going to Iowa or Nebraska was my only sense of escape from reality. And quite honestly, college in general isn’t reality.
On those long ass drives, I would sit there and think about everything going on in my life with whatever music in the background. It was comforting sitting in the car with mostly straight roads and letting your mind wander for as long as you liked. I just felt really peaceful and although the drives were boring and I would get ridiculously sleepy behind the wheel, I finally felt at peace with my life.
It was also so nice to know that as soon as I got to wherever, I was going to see my boyfriend who was as excited as I was to see him. It was so nice to have that because like I said, I felt like I didn’t have anyone who really cared about me back in Colorado. David and I were in that awkward stage in a friendship because he just got back from study abroad and didn’t feel happy being back in the states. He had his own issues and as did I and neither of us took the time to talk to each other about them because we were so absorbed with our own.
What I really miss are those long drives through twilight, through mid-day, through rain, fog, and sunshine, through starlight and moonlight, and feeling completely at peace with the world.
Yeah, I can go ahead and take long road trips to nowhere. I don’t think I’d get that same freeing feeling like I did in college because like I said, that time in my life wasn’t reality, this was something I did to escape from the life I couldn’t handle or deal with.
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