Sunday, July 17, 2011

Roam if You Want To

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ridiculously picturesque vista found during a roam

I was the classic overachiever in college. TA, LA, taking beyond my required credits, student council, biology club, straight A's. You know the type. I was also a complete stress-case; I was very close to losing my mind. On the advice of my advisor I went to see the school psychologist, a shaggy haired man in a patched elbow corduroy jacket. The very image of a psychologist. After patiently listening to me for a long time, he gave me this piece of advice: "You are caught in a rut of over achievement. I want you to get in your car and roam. Go down streets that you have never been down. Get out of your life for a while." I left shaking my head, thinking that he was the biggest crackpot I had ever met. But I followed his advice, and to this day, I think it is one of the best pieces of advice anyone has ever given me.

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Roaming about takes you out of the ordinary and thrusts you into worlds that you never knew existed. I've found covered barns, gorgeous farms, fantastic restaurants and book stores, and have just taken amazingly picturesque or pleasing drives. One must never roam without a camera; some of the best pictures that I have ever take were on roads that I didn't know existed until I ventured off of my beaten path. Oh, and if you are prone to getting lost, make sure you have a GPS - getting lost is sort of the point.

When I was in medical school a group of friends and I attended a conference at The Opreyland Hotel. It's an amazing place and we were quite taken with it. Nonetheless, we were bored out of our minds one night and needed something to do. I suggested that we roam. We ran around the hotel like children, going down hallways that we hadn't seen before, opening every door we could. We found a conference room and took pictures of each other pounding on tables looking as CEO-like as possible. In a bathroom with the largest floor to ceiling mirror I have ever seen we made up a line dance. Somehow we ended up in an employee locker room. And in the Grand Atrium we found a group of darling SMU boys to teach our line dance to. To this day, it is one of the most fun vacation days I have ever had.

So get outta here! Get lost! Go down that country lane that you've always wondered about. Venture into that Ethiopian restaurant that you just aren't so sure of. Be brave, get in the car, and discover the world around you. You will never see it the same again.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

One of the things I miss about my ex-husband is that we used to spend at least one weekend day on a random adventure. We'd just get into the car and see where we ended up ... had some great times :-)

Mom said...

Visiting from the finding new friends blog hop! you are being followed ;)
www.WhatMommyWants.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

LOVE this advice. I tend to find myself over-booked and stressed on occasion. Usually I dive in to a good book, but roaming is an awesome idea!

Torhild Reidardatter said...

I will keep roaming in my mind and use the advice when needed.

Lindsay said...

thank you for stopping by my blog. i'm following you back...beautiful blog of yours! :)

Amy said...

Roaming is one of my favorite things. My family used to take long drives on vacation, and unlike most kids who get bored and can't stop pestering their parents, I loved it--loved to stare out the window and watch the scenery flow by, no matter how dull it was. A few years ago, in the middle of a weeks-long fit of depression, I rediscovered the joy of taking long drives out through the country where I had never been before. It is so soothing to my soul: it can take me from the depths of despair to completely content almost instantly.

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