I thought it would be awful to be on campus during fall break when everyone I knew would be going home or on vacation. My parents and little brother came up at the beginning of break, but once they left, I had no idea what to do with an empty campus.

I had barely gotten any fresh air one day, so I decided to get dressed in something cute. Without so many eyes on campus, I used the opportunity to be more explorative with my fashion. I wore a deep-cut black tank top, a patchwork velvet skirt and black sandals.

The moment I stepped outside, the sun touching my skin, wind messing up my just-styled hair and “These Foolish Things” by Ella Fitzgerald blasting in my headphones, I felt good. Like, good. The smell of autumn is finally getting strong on campus, and it gives me a better high than any substance ever could.

So I, on a whim, took my Sony mirrorless camera and decided to play nature photographer for an hour. I walked around campus, letting my intuition lead me. I took photos of empty benches, empty buildings, empty streets, trying to highlight the vacant campus. I took photos of trees, highlighting the green leaves turning red and the vibrancy of the autumn color. I took photos of myself almost getting blown away in the wind, my hair flying like crazy and my skirt almost having a Marilyn Monroe moment. 

The entire experience was euphoric. I loved just going on a walk around campus to enjoy my surroundings, not to end up somewhere. I grabbed for my phone every 10 minutes or so, and it was only to respond to texts. 

Eventually, my walk led me to the empty pond on the northwest side of Meredith. I sat on the back edge of it, where the stone bricks are lined up. Once I had gotten a good amount of photos, I just sat and observed the area. I let my mind wander while my headphones sounded “Fall for You” by Sarah Kang into my ears. 

I found myself wondering about the last time I went on a walk, a stroll, if you will. I then began thinking about how often we as college students only leave our dorms to go somewhere — to go to class, to go to our cars, to eat, to study. 

When was the last time you went on a stroll? The last time you disregarded your phone and observed the environment around you? Even though I’ve been at Drake for a year, there were still spots on campus I observed for the first time. This may be the art student in me, but I found genuine beauty in the sidewalks and the colors and even in the Fine Arts building. 

Put your phone down and observe. Put yourself back in nature and let your mind wander. Don’t only be stimulated by your screens. Get off your damn phone and look at the pretty trees.