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• A short day trip for rejuvenation

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People get confused when I tell them I just got back from celebrating the last few weeks of my summer vacation in the busy streets of Rantoul, Illinois, subjecting myself to the many tourist traps, and laying out in the sun. Of course, my time in Rantoul recently wasn’t as glorious as I’m making it sound and it was definitely no vacation, but don’t mistake my sarcasm for regret. Despite the quiet streets and the lack of open shops and restaurants, my time there wasn’t that bad at all. I’d have to say that for one of the lamest vacation spots on earth, it was a mildly refreshing experience.

For those of you not familiar with the town, Rantoul is just about a 20 minute drive north of CU. Named after the director of the Illinois Central Railroad in the early 1800s, it owes much of its existence to the railroad but throughout the years the population has steadily declined partially due to the closing of the Chanute Air Force Base in the early ’90s.

And the town’s shrinking population is pretty apparent when you’re walking the downtown street. Unlike a busy college town like our own in which we’re always struggling to find space for new classes, apartments or just a place be alone to enjoy the outdoors, it’s easy to get the sense that Rantoul has more buildings than they know what to do with. There is no push for growth or expansion or modernizing and maybe that was what made my two weeks there refreshing. There is an overwhelming sense of complacency and ease there, in direct contrast to the anxious progress-driven, future-hugging ambitions of CU.

So, honestly, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the rush that came along with the start of the school year, I would recommend taking a day trip there. Brake into the abandoned airport, enjoy the peculiarly empty pools of Haps Parker Water Park all to yourself, take a trip to the awesome record store downtown and count the unusual amount of barbershops and hair salons.

Sounds like a lame day, no offense to Rantoul, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need to rejuvenate. Right?