It’s that time in the semester when work starts piling up and syllabus week is a distant, sweet memory. 

It’s easy to get swept up in clubs, work and your social life until it’s 3 a.m. and you’re lying in bed awake realizing how overwhelmed you are. 

Sometimes you need to remove yourself from campus for a day or two, whether that means taking a day trip with your friends or designating a day downtown just for your mental health. 

This past Presidents’ Day weekend I was able to take some time for myself and escape to the other end of Vermont by visiting my cousins in St. Johnsbury. I was able to finally let my mind rest as the weekend was filled with baking bread, playing with animals and taking naps. 

I am so grateful to have family nearby to remind myself that there are other things in the world than school. I encourage everyone to try and get away for a day or even a night if you need it and can. Your mental health is important, you are important.