If you’re anything like me then some days you find yourself checking the prices on the next bus ticket out of your town to any destination. Don’t get me wrong: I love college, my friends, and family, but sometimes you just have to escape school and work and have some fun. A couple of summers ago my friend and I had plans to go to the drive-in, but they fell through.

My cousin could tell I was bummed, so she said to call my two friends and get in the car. None of us knew where we were going until we got on the road and started heading to Chicago. While we were there we did just about every free thing we could fit into one day. (Free is one of my favorite words.) We visited art sculptures, the pier, and even made a stop at the Welcome to Wisconsin sign on our way home. The pure adrenaline rush of having no idea where we were going made me feel more alive than I ever had before.

Since that day we take surprise trips like that quite often. From a day trip to Lake Michigan where we were baptized in the sunset to Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum where my two friends were properly married by a machine. It only cost them a dollar; Las Vegas Elvis impersonators have some competition. These trips give us a relief from our daily struggles and routine.

You don’t have to drive far or even spend a lot of money. You can go to your local park with a five-dollar pizza and a stereo. You can volunteer to play with the animals at the humane society. Puppies make everything better. There are tons of alternatives to staying in alone with ice cream and Netflix. Go out with your friends. Everyone deserves a day for themselves. Your pre-calculus homework will still be there tomorrow. Make some memories that make you smile when you think back to them. Some of my favorite days happened because I let loose and stepped out of my comfort zone.

A good friend of mine shared a quote with me as he climbed 30 feet in my barn to spray paint our names on the wall. (Don’t be alarmed; we had permission.) "Do one thing every day that scares you." (Eleanor Roosevelt). Am I suggesting to climb 30 feet in a barn? Absolutely not; he has crazy good balance -- do not try this at home, kids -- but he did have a good point. Create some cool stories to tell your friends. Take a trip to wherever it may be even if the thought of it terrifies you a bit. Live your life to the maximum potential it has. I promise you won’t regret it.