These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (and Places)
By Wyatt Nail
1.) Laying in a patch of grass with a breeze blowing, not worrying about everything or anything for a fleeting moment. All my cares are taken by the breeze and scattered about, until being collected when I am snapped back to reality.
2.) Sitting on the porch at my aunt’s house in the Smoky Mountains. This simple action brings memories flooding back to my mind, dating back to my five-year-old self. I have sat on this same porch too many times to count, always coming back to be with my thoughts and the mountains.
3.) Riding in any available car to the closest movie theater from my hometown. This 45 minute excursion was never close to ideal, but this provided some of my favorite high school memories. The bonds strengthened and conversations had, jokes and all, hold a special place in my heart.
4.) Watching any and all sports with friends in Reed Hall at the University of Georgia. Anyone around Room 301 in Reed was (unapologetically, from our perspective) subject to our reactionary eruptions that occurred multiple times during any sporting event. Many a weeknight was spent shirking all the work we possibly could, only to flip the television on to ESPN, ABC, or any channel that showed the desired game.
5.) Chilling in a fast food restaurant in my hometown for hours on end with only the best people. My rural, South Georgia town had a very disappointing selection of activities to keep teenagers off the streets. When we weren’t joining a caravan headed for the movies, our version of loitering was the best option. Countless hours were spent in the local Dairy Queen and Taco Bell, discussing our futures and random topics that only mattered in the moment.
6.) Lounging around having movie marathons in whoever’s dorm room was the cleanest and unoccupied. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Netflix comedies — — all of these made the hours fly by, with friends who make the smallest activities mean the world. As a small town kid in Athens, nights like these made the transition seamless.
7.) Netflixing and studying in the North Tower of the Miller Learning Center. After riding the slowest elevators known to man, the secluded third floor tower is a welcoming spot. The lounge chairs are broken in and as comfy as my couch at home, 190 miles to the south. Even the ever- unreliable wifi known as Paws Secure (dawgs need secure paws) seems to work better in the solitude of this tower.
8.) Cheering in Sanford Stadium on Saturdays with 93,000 of my closest friends. Sometimes it seems that the University of Georgia campus revolves around a silly game with eleven college students on each side, and this notion isn’t entirely wrong. If you hear the opinion of a sports fan, the Saturdays spent tailgating, coaching from the seats, and screaming your absolute heart out are second to none. An atmosphere like this is only found in a college town like Athens, Georgia.
