I used to think I loved going out.
My friends and I regularly grab a big group and go out at least twice between Thursday and Saturday. Sometimes there’s a birthday or an event, but usually the occasion is the simple notion of living in a college town in our early 20s.
And, it’s always fun. Between getting ready, going to the bars and grabbing food after, I have never wished that I hadn’t gone out.
I was recently thinking about who I was before college. I realized that if you told the high school senior version of myself that she would enjoy going out, she would laugh in your face.
Then it clicked: it was never about going out. It was about being with my best friends.
For three years, I thought I loved a night out. And, of course I do, but the bars weren’t what made some of my favorite nights meaningful or special. It was my friends and I purposefully choosing to be with each other.
What I also didn’t realize is that I loved a night in just as much. I had never thought about which one I preferred because it simply didn’t matter. The people mattered, the friendship mattered and the love mattered.
This sentiment has stood strong during my time at OU. My friends often hear me say, “I don’t care,” when asked about anything from what I want to eat to what game I want to play. What I really mean to say is, “I don’t care as long as we can do it together.”
As graduating from OU in a little over a week looms over me, I’m not scared. But, I can’t help how overwhelmed I am — overwhelmed with memories and love.
As I think back on my years here, I am riddled with nostalgia for such recent memories. However, I saw a quote recently that said, “Nostalgia is proof you are living a life to be proud of. What a privilege to yearn for your own memories.”
Because of my friends, I understand that the sadness I feel when thinking about my freshman year dorm or a fun night out isn’t actually sadness at all. It’s a privilege to be nostalgic over my time here. It’s a form of deep gratitude that has been disguising itself as tears.
My final column is dedicated to the girls who have made OU my favorite place. Natalie, Alexis, Julian, Lucia, Jenna, Ella, Katie and Alyssa – you have a magical way of turning boring days into exciting ones and packed bars into places that feel like home.
So no, it was never about going out or staying in. It was about doing it together. And that’s what made these the best years of my life.
Layne Rey is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
