Are you feeling fun, frisky and full of spontaneity?  Do you need a respite from a repetitive schedule?  It’s spring time!  Leave your “type A” personality behind and do something impromptu.

The majority of Washington and Lee students tend to be obsessive planners.  If something is not on their schedule, it cannot and will not exist.  Any carefree dreaming that occurs tends to be squashed like an ant in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Don’t let homework get in your way!  Be irresponsible for once.  Drop everything and drive.

One Saturday, after your lacrosse game or tennis match, hop in a car with your best buddies and day trip to Charlottesville.  You may be surprised at how refreshing a few hours away from little Lexington can be.

Charlottesville is not a large town; however, compared to Lex it’s a whole new world.  Downtown Charlottesville contains an outdoor mall which is the perfect mix of historic and colorful.  Quaint shops, ice-cream galore, a large movie theatre (that actually plays more than three movies) and a perfect place for midnight dancing make this town the ideal getaway.

Also, outside of the University of Virginia, there are great restaurants such as Mellow Mushroom and Boylan Heights.  Flirt with a cute waiter while chowing down on some great fries, and then make your way down the street for some scrumptious cupcakes (there’s a great six for $15 deal at Sweethaus).

Build-a-Bear workshop is a great place to stop by if you’re feeling cute and cuddly.  They now have hearts with real heartbeats and scents to make your bear smell just the way you like.

Hitting up IHOP late at night is never a bad idea–blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup and hot chocolate can cure any illness, from homesickness to hopelessness.

Let yourself get lost in a world full of students (more than 20,000), and find new faces that you don’t see every time you walk down the colonnade.  The University of Virginia is a great place to people watch and even meet your next girlfriend.  Who knows where destiny will take you on your day trip?

If you don’t have a car, or feel like staying on campus, order Dominos to the colonnade.  There’s nothing better than watching a thunderstorm at night while eating pizza and Brookside chocolate under the safety of Robinson’s roof.  However, since spring is a spontaneous time, maybe you should go dancing in the thunderstorm instead.

Maybe your one spring term class is harder than all your winter term classes combined.  Maybe you’re drowning in an ocean of research, research, class, lab and more research.  If this is the case, don’t let yourself miss out on doing something stupid before school is over.

One irresponsible night may bring a bad grade the next morning, but it may be something you remember and hold dear to your heart for the rest of your life.

Take a day trip next weekend with someone who makes you feel alive.  Spring is all about starting new, sprouting and growing.  The type of flower you bloom into depends on where you plant yourself–in the ground or in a portable pot.