Back to School
School is starting back up, and whether you are in school, have children, or are a former student, it is hard not to feel nostalgic for the first day of school. Just as Tom Hanks offered Meg Ryan in 1998, "I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils, if I had your name and address." Since I don't, I'll offer some suggestions to celebrate the back-to-school season.
Sip, shop, and read
A fresh read for the fall season is sure to bring out your inner academic. The Read Queen in Lafayette has a mix of new and used books. There is an air of comfort in this snug shop, which is a mix of personal library and hip café, transporting you back to your student days.
Have an ice cream social
If they are good enough for kindergartners, they are good enough for me. Get your friends and family together for an ice cream social. Invite that new pal you just haven't had time to connect with yet and make it a low-stakes community-building day. Sweet Cow Creamery in Louisville has the perfect outside space for the kids to chase each other around while you visit with old and new friends.
Take a class
You don't need to be enrolled in school to keep learning and growing. To spark your creativity and meet new people, try an improv class. Although this may sound a bit intimidating to even the most extroverted butterfly, improv is a great way to challenge the mind, engage imagination, and improve public speaking skills. The Improv Collaborative has new classes starting this September.
Go back to school shopping
This does not need to be a practice in consumerism, but finding a new piece of clothing, shoes, a pack of pens. Find something that makes you feel good and donate something that no longer bring you joy. It is a new school year, just as you did at 14, it is time to reinvent yourself.
Support Education
With the dismantling of the Department of Education, public schools need our help more than ever. Regardless of where you stand politically, it's now on us as a community to support student