Make Each Moment of Each Day Count

It's not the minutes, it's the moments

As cheesy as the saying goes, it has stuck with me ever since I first heard it.

Elizabeth Schorr
Elizabeth Schorr Jul 30, 2018
352
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As a kid, I went to sleep-away camp in middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania. A tiny town called Beach Lake, where the staple locations are the massive Walmart and Gravity Ice Cream. I spent 7 summers on the grounds that helped shape me into the person I am today. However, this article isn't even about my experiences at the camp itself, but the quote that our camp director has said since opening day in 2008.

It's not the minutes, it's the moments.

Basically, the main goal he was trying to tell the hundred or so wide-eyed kids is that we can't live each day counting down the minutes, but instead to treasure the time we are all spending together. The few short weeks at camp are something so innocent and pure that will stick with you until your dying days. I can still vividly remember my time there at 9 years old, and the crazy memories I made on each inch of that place. I can look back on photos and remember who was there, what we were talking about, and whatever silly thing we were doing that could have probably gotten us in trouble, but we somehow weaseled our way out of it. We made our moments there count, and we didn't sit there and cross off days on a calendar for when we had to leave. Instead, we lived each day at camp as if it were the last time we would ever eat in the dining hall, swim in the lake, or sing a campfire song.

This has stuck with me to this day. Life isn't about crossing boxes off of a calendar. It is about cherishing the people you surround yourself with, exploring the opportunities that are right in front of you, and capturing mental pictures of each amazing memory you are creating. This allowed me to live out the last summer I spent at camp to the fullest, with my best friend by my side, a smile 24/7 (in an ideal world lol), and the thought of making every moment count. I was able to have my last summer be the summer that I will cherish forever, and the memories made never be forgotten.

This quote has also taught me to live each day to its fullest. Live each day as if there is no one watching and not worrying about what comes next. If we sit here and worry about "wasting time", we won't even get to really envelop ourselves in the moments we are experiencing.

So thank you, Paul, for teaching me one of the most valuable lessons that are as simple as 7 words to inspire a kid to have fun at camp.

Elizabeth Schorr
Elizabeth Schorr Jul 30, 2018
At Florida State University

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I'm The Girl Without A 'Friend Group'

And here's why I'm OK with it

Taylor Grace Abrahams
Taylor Grace Abrahams Apr 3, 2017
925749
views

Little things remind me all the time.

For example, I'll be sitting in the lounge with the people on my floor, just talking about how everyone's days went. Someone will turn to someone else and ask something along the lines of, "When are we going to so-and-so's place tonight?" Sometimes it'll even be, "Are you ready to go to so-and-so's place now? Okay, we'll see you later, Taylor!"

It's little things like that, little things that remind me I don't have a "friend group." And it's been like that forever. I don't have the same people to keep me company 24 hours of the day, the same people to do absolutely everything with, and the same people to cling to like glue. I don't have a whole cast of characters to entertain me and care for me and support me. Sometimes, especially when it feels obvious to me, not having a "friend group" makes me feel like a waste of space. If I don't have more friends than I can count, what's the point in trying to make friends at all?

I can tell you that there is a point. As a matter of fact, just because I don't have a close-knit clique doesn't mean I don't have any friends. The friends I have come from all different walks of life, some are from my town back home and some are from across the country. I've known some of my friends for years, and others I've only known for a few months. It doesn't really matter where they come from, though. What matters is that the friends I have all entertain me, care for me, and support me. Just because I'm not in that "friend group" with all of them together doesn't mean that we can't be friends to each other.

Still, I hate avoiding sticking myself in a box, and I'm not afraid to seek out friendships. I've noticed that a lot of the people I see who consider themselves to be in a "friend group" don't really venture outside the pack very often. I've never had a pack to venture outside of, so I don't mind reaching out to new people whenever.

I'm not going to lie, when I hear people talking about all the fun they're going to have with their "friend group" over the weekend, part of me wishes I could be included in something like that. I do sometimes want to have the personality type that allows me to mesh perfectly into a clique. I couldn't tell you what it is about me, but there is some part of me that just happens to function better one-on-one with people.

I hated it all my life up until very recently, and that's because I've finally learned that not having a "friend group" is never going to be the same as not having friends.

SEE ALSO: To The Girls Who Float Between Friend Groups

Cover Image Credit: wordpress.com
Taylor Grace Abrahams
Taylor Grace Abrahams Apr 3, 2017
At University of Missouri

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My First College Gal Pal Road Trip Was Amazing

Every girl should have one good girls trip.

Victoria Thompson
Victoria Thompson Jun 24, 2019
235
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In some way or another, everybody has a list of things they want to do in their lives before it's all over. After all, we're human. There's adventure to be had in every life. One thing I have always wanted to do before I grew too old and grey was go on a road trip with my gal pals to the beach. A couple weeks ago, I achieved this memorable milestone, and it allowed me to open up to new surroundings and experiences.

On this trip, I went with two of my friends from college, Kait and Lindsey, to visit my roommate Elizabeth in Virginia Beach. This was pretty big for Lindsey and I because neither of us had been to Virginia Beach before. Thankfully Elizabeth and Kait knew their way around the city, so we never got lost on our way to and fro.

Like most vacations, my favorite parts probably took place at the beach. I'm always at utter peace stomping through mushy sand or leaning down to splash the salty water that tries to knock my short self over. We took pictures and did something us college girls rarely have time to do especially in school: Relax.

The four of us did not live up to the crazed stereotype of girl trips in movies. Although I finally got a chance to sing along to Taylor Swift in a car ride with my friends, so that's always a plus. We played "Top Golf" one day, and by some miracle, I actually won the second game by a fair amount after much humiliation in the first one. We visited some of Elizabeth's family, and I finally got to meet her giant dog Apollo (I call him 'Wolf Dog'). Everyday was another chance to ask with enthusiasm: "So what are we doing today?"

Our trip wasn't like the movies where we all cried or confessed our deepest darkest secrets. Everything the four of us shared was laughter and this calm feeling of being at home, in the chaotic peace of each other's company. We understand each other a little better due to finally seeing what we're like outside of Longwood University. After this, all I can say is that we're most definitely planning the next one!

Victoria Thompson
Victoria Thompson Jun 24, 2019
At Longwood

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