I am not naturally coordinated, so I must warn you not to be misled by the name of my column.
“Dancing Lessons” is a reference to my favorite Kurt Vonnegut quotation, “Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God,” and is not inspired by my unfortunate two left feet.
But I am much more adept at traveling. Experiencing new landscapes, locations, climates and cultures has become a driving force in my life.
I spent the summer road-tripping across the country to California with an old high school friend and paragliding off mountains near Seattle.
After a travel intensive year in which I dipped my toes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Puget Sound, the prospect of returning to Evansville for a mundane semester of classes, meetings, papers and headaches was less than appealing.
Or so I thought. I changed my mind while browsing through pictures from my travels, hoping to find some to decorate my room with. It was then that I realized being at school is anything but mundane.
When we move into our cramped living spaces, we bring our lives with us—our goals, our ideals, our sense of humor—we bring ourselves. And it is at school among our friends that we truly become who we are.
Away from parental control and the rules of high school, we are free to express ourselves in any way we choose.
And self-discovery is quite a journey. Without leaving Evansville, we travel the world.
From the insecurity and anxiety of starting freshman year to the bittersweet final moments of senior year, we spend the majority of our time at school. We spend our time laughing and fighting, learning to speak new languages and writing endless papers.
So while returning to class may seem boring after summer, it is up to us to recognize the true beauty in the journey we are on.
Those starting on their travels are presented by endless possibilities. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and step out of your comfort zone. Join something, meet new people—your journey can take you anywhere.
To those who have already set off, don’t despair. There are new adventures waiting at every turn, and you will take quite a few.
For those beginning the end, cheer up, because the end of your scholastic travels only leads you to bigger, more inspiring vistas.
Enjoy the journey—and don’t forget to take pictures. Otherwise you may forget how far you have already traveled.
