There are many great places to relax on campus. The couch in Shane Lounge in Parrish Hall. The comfy chairs in McCabe Library. Your own dorm room. All of these are great options, but might I suggest somewhere else? Parrish Beach on a sunny day is something else entirely. The soft green grass hugs your back perfectly, you can put your body under the shade of a tree and snooze, or you can just look above you and cloud gaze.

The first time I relaxed on Parrish Beach, which is the lawn outside of Parrish Hall, I felt somewhat nervous. What if people would judge me for doing so? What if someone tripped over me? What if someone from the frisbee team lost control and hit me? All sorts of weird worries filled my head. Then I finally found the perfect spot. I put my backpack down and used it as a cushion for my head. My head fell under the shade of a tree while the rest of my body was warmed by the sunlight. I put headphones in and listened to some music.

I looked at the clouds slowly moving across the sky. My head emptied of my assignments, my classes, my performances, my clubs, and my stress. Nothing was on my mind except the wild shapes the clouds were making. I felt at peace. I closed my eyes. I’m not sure if I actually fell asleep or not but I was relaxed enough to do so. 

Eventually, a friend came by and sat next to me. They said I looked very peaceful and they almost didn’t want to interrupt. I assured them they didn’t and we both laid down on the ground for a while. We didn’t talk about school or work, but again, we just looked at the clouds above. Eventually, we had to get back to reality, but we both felt much more ready to take on the rest of our day. 

Be sure to take time for yourself while you’re at Swat. You can feel pressure to be constantly doing work or being productive in some shape or form. While it’s important to keep up with your homework and assignments, it is equally important to take time for yourself to just relax. This may be watching Netflix in bed, going out for a meal with friends, taking time to draw, or just laying on Parrish Beach doing absolutely nothing for a while. Whatever it may be, make sure to take that time. You’ll thank yourself later!

About the Author:

Hi! My name is Grace Griego. I am a sophomore from Bishop, California. I’m currently pursuing a double major in theater and English. I’m a part of MASH club, anime club, Boy Meets Tractor (sketch comedy group), Chaverim (acapella), and student theater productions! I’ve also recently tried out stand up comedy! You can find me around campus by my signature yellow coat which I have been told has reminded people of Coraline, Georgie from IT, and Singing in the Rain.