It is physically and emotionally painful for me to be sitting inside with my books, bound to the limits of a plug-in and wifi, when I know that just outside these thick, concrete walls lies a realm of inexplicably beautiful late summer Kansas weather.

The gentle breeze sounds mournful and forgotten; the already-falling leaves are left uncrunched by my middle-school instincts to step on every one of them. We are stuck inside for courses throughout the day: and we also have to be stuck inside to study for those courses, too, don’t we?

I am addicted to being outside. At every. Single. Opportunity. This used to feature a selection of jerry-rigged studying experiences such as feeding charger cords out of windows or attempting to make a portable router for accessing wifi.

But! Imagine my blissful surprise when I came back to ESU after a year abroad and was met with the most beautiful, glorious of all outdoor studying spots?

The space–sandwiched between the north face of the Union and Wooster Lake–features classy wooden chairs, nice picnic-style benches, umbrella-accompanied tables and long group tables. And it’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Whoever designed it…hats off, friend.

You can access the Hornet Nation wifi; they’ve put in electrical boxes for charging; they’ve decorated the space with classy christmas and studio lights allotting for a SUPER pleasant aesthetic when the sun goes down; the choice of furnishing is comfortable, modern, classy, easy to clean….it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed about.

There are even two ceiling fans that oscillate above the long group tables optimizing the most pleasant air flow.

You can hear the lapping of the fountain, the quacking of the ducks, the singing of birds. You can smell the freshly cut lawns, and fresh scents of wafting fall.

Score one for campus improvements.