11/07/2019
by Sierra Guardiola
As a senior I am constantly going through waves of fear and excitement as my inevitable close to these past four years slowly approaches. It’s a mix of readiness to tackle the real world and put my education to good use, but also the impending doom of having to leave a place that I consider my second home and all the people who have felt like family.
Weeks keep zooming by, but to combat the rushing of time my friends and I decided to make a bucket list. This is no revolutionary idea. Many people for many reasons create bucket lists. Even though we knew it wasn’t original, we felt like it was necessary. It’s so easy when time is fleeting to divulge in activities you know you enjoy, but it’s also important to remember to experience things you may never get the chance to later on.
I have to admit we are foodies, so naturally our list was chock-full of restaurants. One of the many perks of living on South Hill is the variety of food options available. Our list was rich in palette variety and price point and we have been slowly working toward checking off more and more each week.
Although food drives our list, the point wasn’t just to try new food. The point of this list was to soak up the culture of our home. We may have just been temporary residents, but four years is a substantial amount of time. In four years, we have grown into ourselves with the help of this town that we love. We have formed opinions, strengthened beliefs, taken risks all while being shaped by the little bubble of Ithaca. For that reason, we added more to our list. Grab a blanket and go do homework by the lake at Stewart Park. Support the independent movie scene and head down to Cinemapolis. Buy flowers from Bool’s Flower Shop. Bring your own mug to chili fest to experience it like a local.
The latest we have checked off our list: attend an Ithaca College Theatre show. In our four years here, we had never made it to a show. A real shame considering how amazing our program is. Nevertheless, we finally made our way online and bought tickets to Tuesday’s performance of Sister Act. As the cast took their final bow to “Spread the Love” my friend and I looked at each other and giggled. It’s so easy to forget that you are more than just a student when you’re in college. It’s so easy to get caught up in the work and to leave little to no time for yourself to be present in the community that you are a part of. We left feeling energized, and feeling a little bit more adult as well. We gave ourselves the night off from homework and stress of post-grad life and enjoyed a moment with each other taking in a part of a place that will soon be our best memory.
Sierra is a senior journalism major at Ithaca College. She is currently a freelancer for Hudson Valley Magazine and can also be seen in Real Simple. When she’s not writing, you can find her watching Parks and Rec or exploring the many hikes in the Ithaca region.
