Friday morning my roommate and I woke up decently early—at around 8 AM, and headed to Oneida Shores County Park. This was not too far of a drive from Syracuse University, and a quick trip away from the stress and busy-mindedness we have constantly had at school.

Of course, on our way, I had to stop at Dunkin' to grab an iced coffee and to see the sweet Dunkin' employees. I am pretty sure I traveled in the opposite direction to do so, although it was definitely worth it. With a coffee in hand, my roommate and I then set out for Oneida Shores.

Upon arrival, we both noticed there were very few visitors—which was amazing because we had a shoot to do while here. We both found ourselves in the playground (which was surprisingly very fun), laughing at the extremely weird sounds the birds were making, and wandering the area and the lake-side. In each new location, we snapped many pictures, as seemingly every area of this beach was photogenic.

We both reached an area where the water was calm, that overlooked the entire lake. While looking out towards the water, it felt like we could see the entire town ahead—feeling extremely reminiscent of Maine.

The water was extremely tempting—but there was no way we were going in. That'll have to wait a few months. It was, although, nice to just sit by the still water at a near-vacant beach, and listen to the sounds while living in the moment. These were sounds that would not be found back in Syracuse, and views that wouldn't either.

Hundreds of photos later, we got back in the car, I sipped the rest of my coffee, and we headed back to Syracuse. This simple trip to the lake reminded me of how important these experiences are—as removing yourself from a busy work-mode and allowing your mind to breathe is very important. Nevertheless, I must say that I arrived back to the university feeling refreshed, and more clear-headed to enter back into work-mode.