take that side quest

Just got back home after a very spontaneous trip to Knott’s Berry Farm with my school and it lowkey was the most fun I’ve had in a while.

I almost didn't go: was questioning if it was really going to be "worth it" and was afraid that I was going to feel left out and empty, but it ended up being unexpectedly fulfilling.

There’s something healing about having free will to go on side quests, lore-max, learn more about classmates that you might have just passively noticed but have never actually spoken to, and genuinely live in the moment.

It’s that rare kind of freedom where nothing needs to be productive or impressive but you just choose things because you want to.

And knowing that those fleeting moments of connection can happen in the smallest, most random moments when you're not forcing it: sharing candy and gummies with my friends as we wait in line for a rollercoaster, playing imposter with my friends and my AP Lang and AP Bio teacher as we wait in line for a ride, getting ice cream at night with my friend and AP Bio teacher and then dying of laughter seconds later when my ice cream swirl perfectly plopped on the ground from the cone, and sitting on a quiet bench surrounded by carousel and amusement park lights eating ice cream with my friend as we connect over that human feeling of being the outsider.