It's Not What, It's Who

            I’ve travelled all over Europe.  I’ve been to Mardi Gras three times.  I’ve pledged a fraternity (RIP).  I’ve attended countless baseball games, and concerts, and festivals.  I’ve gone to many classes, and, of course, I’ve also skipped a few.  In short, my college experience has been a marathon, to say the least.  Only recently, however, have I come to the conclusion that what I’m doing is far less important to me than the people I’m doing it with.

            This year I spent my spring break in Miami, and it was fun.  I got plenty of sun, enjoyed fine food and drink, and spent a little bit more money than I would’ve liked.  All in all, it was a good break, a nice change of pace from class and studying.  But you don’t want to hear about my trip; that would make Student Parking Only no better than the worst abroad blog.

            I’d rather tell you about Saturday night, when I had safely returned to Atlanta.  Following 11 hours of driving, I was pretty worn out, but when my friend gave me a call and asked if I was going out, I said, “sure.”  After all, I was still technically on vacation.

            By any standards, the night was a dud.  12 guys and 3 girls at the pregame was a bad start.  To make matters worse, when we arrived at Maggie’s, the average age was about 35.  Half our group left shortly thereafter.  This was by no means cut out to be a night for the record books.  Yet, for me it was.

            The few of us who stayed at the desolate bar made the most of it.  I threw some songs on the jukebox, we cracked jokes, and Alexi narrowly avoided a fist fight with a middle-aged man.  When we finally decided to leave, we went back to my apartment and stayed up til 4 AM, chatting, telling stories, and listening to music.  By the time we all called it a night, we could hardly keep our eyes open.

            In the end, I did nothing of particular consequence on Saturday night, but nevertheless, I had a smile on my face the entire time.  I can’t say the same for my week in Miami.  So, next time you’re making plans, I encourage you to worry less about the question of what you’re doing.  Who you spend your time with is everything, so choose carefully.