Vacations are fun, aren't they? For winter break we got a month off from school, and the majority of us spent time relaxing with family and friends. For the first time in my life, however, I didn't partake in these semi-ritualistic events. I stayed up in Buffalo (keep in mind I'm not a native of the area), squatted in my friends' apartment by myself, and spent the vacation working. Barring a small handful of close Buffalonian friends, I spent the days here alone and secluded. It really made me think - and to quote Agent Smith from "The Matrix" - "I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here."
This is life after college. That is, if each and every one of us moves away from our hometown to pursue a career in a city where we know few or no people. Having recently turned 21, I am now classified as an adult, and it isn't something I'm looking forward to. Yes, I can legally drink and gamble, but when that inevitable hangover subsides, and I realize how much money I've lost on blackjack and strippers, the vision of that long and tedious road of adulthood will once again appear ahead of me.
Once we get out of school, we are finally done with classes and can dump all that unnecessary knowledge out of our heads (library skills and advanced calculus, just to name a few). However, most of us will slowly slip out of touch with many of our friends and - don't forget - once we lose school, we lose school vacations. Most full-time work is year round, and we will probably get only major holidays off, along with two or three sick days a year. How fabulous.
I can actually see myself in three or four years: nine to five, Mondays through Fridays. Then it's back to my bachelor pad for a shower before ordering overpriced Chinese take-out to eat while watching prime-time dramas. Once that's done, it's off to bed, and the whole thing starts all over again.
You may be asking, "Whose life could possibly be that boring?" Well, apparently mine was this winter break, with a little bit of variation during dinner (simply swap Chinese with tacos.) When you have all that time after work to entertain yourself, you end up discovering there is so much nothing to do. Weekends are even worse. When not on the job, you end up having nine or so extra hours trying to figure out what to do. Sure, clean the apartment up, do some laundry, and even go shopping. Vacuum the wall-to-wall carpet on your hands and knees with a dust-buster. Overhaul that car engine that's been making weird sounds. Okay, that might be going a bit too far.
But seriously, take a good hard look at where you may end up in a few years. If you can't picture it, take a look at the next best thing: your parents. I can't speak for anyone else, but my parents certainly don't make the most of their time. When not at work, my mother likes to sit on the couch for hours watching television, only getting up to go food shopping. My father, on the other hand, is a little bit better. He's an avid jogger, but only to combat various health issues (that most likely will be passed to me thanks to genetics) while using the rest of his time preparing meals that are much too elaborate for everyday eating.
I'm sure the boredom is worth it, working for years and knowing your life - as well as the life of your family - is somewhat secure. However, I would never have pictured my life a total bore if I hadn't experienced it firsthand, and now I realize why parents always want to spend their free time with their children. Maybe it's because they love their kids, but on the other hand, it might be because they actually have nothing better to do.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
