Happy Place

In my first post of the semester, I mentioned that I’m taking an elective called Pharmacotherapy of the Critically Ill Patient. What I didn’t mention is that this course is only offered in Baltimore. So, every Tuesday, I fill up my tank and drive up I-95 to the School of Pharmacy.

This roughly forty-minute commute to and from Baltimore sounds like a hassle, right? But believe it or not, this drive is one of my favorite things to look forward to each week. Life as a student can get so insanely hectic. We get caught up in all of our classes, assignments, projects, and meetings that we forget, or blatantly neglect, to schedule in time to relax and unwind.

There are certain things I do that can be considered “me time”. For example, I try and work out every morning and allow myself a few hours of TV time per week. But how easy is it to skip a morning workout to squeeze in some extra studying before an exam, or to miss an episode of the Bachelor (you know too much about me now) to finish that last chapter of the assigned reading? Too easy.

What’s different about my Tuesday drives is that they’re mandatory. Since skipping class is never an option, I have no choice but to turn up the music, clear my mind, and drive. For the next forty minutes, I’m in my happy place. No obligations, no responsibilities. At least for a little while, the stresses of life melt away. Call me crazy, but on my way back to Silver Spring, I actually pray for a little bit of traffic just to prolong my escape from reality.

Do you have something in your life that’s considered a time waster? Something that you routinely have to sit through, and there’s just no way around it? I’m sure you do. My advice is to take advantage of that time. Put in some earbuds and go to your happy place.

Here are some songs to give you all the feels while you’re there: