What’s in a perfect day?

[nat sound: passing traffic at Weber Arch]

It’s winter at Northwestern, meaning students are spending much of their time bundled up in fuzzy winter jackets to escape the cold. Stuck yearning for sunny days lounging on the Lakefill, the season is a time where many long for warmth in the midst of gray, dreary days. 

It’s hard not to daydream, thinking about what an ideal day would look like if the weather was warmer and the sun was shining. 

But what’s in a perfect day? I asked four Northwestern students to describe theirs from morning to midnight. For Medill sophomore Cate Bikales, hers would involve nature, close friends and family, and her dogs:

[nat sound: waves crashing]

CATE BIKALES: I would wake up around 10 a.m. in a small cottage house on the coast of Oregon, which is where I’m from. Being on the coast has always been my favorite thing, it just makes me so happy. 

Bikales is vegan, meaning her ideal breakfast would consist of some of her favorite homemade dishes.

BIKALES: Me and my family would cook some breakfast, maybe some vegan tofu scramble, some vegan pancakes, which don’t sound very good, but to me, they’re delicious.

After her meal, Bikales’s morning plans would continue with some time spent outdoors. 

[nat sound: wind blowing and birds chirping]

BIKALES: And then we would go outside and go on a hike a little, like 11 a.m. hike, the weather would be around 70 degrees. So not too hot, not too cold. And it would be a summer day on the coast. So some cool breeze, but also the sun is out. 

Moving into the afternoon, Medill sophomore Kunjal Bastola’s ideal midday activity would consist of an outing with her sister.  

KUNJAL BASTOLA: I’d probably go to a bookstore, browse the books—my perfect day would include me having the perfect amount of money. And so I’d be able to buy whatever I wanted.

Despite eating brunch earlier in the day, Bastola would still have room for a nice lunch.

BASTOLA: But you know what,  I would go eat some pasta, you know, perfect day. And then if it’s warm enough, I’d probably go to swim or something at the beach.

As the sun begins to set, Medill sophomore Raghav Khosla would head to Welsh Ryan Arena to catch the ‘Cats take on the Purdue Boilermakers.

RAGHAV KHOSLA: I’m gonna get there an hour and a half early, making sure I get seats by the Northwestern bench three or four rows up from the court, and then listen to that wonderful Welsh Ryan pregame mix, watching the guys warm up, booing Purdue and Zach Edey and Fletcher Loyer and all the guys on Purdue that I’m not the biggest fan of.

At eight o’clock, the game begins. 

[nat sound: tennis shoes squeaking on court, crowd chanting]

KHOSLA: It’s game time, it’s a back and forth game, and just like it happened this year, it’s gonna go to overtime and Northwestern is going to win. We’re going to storm the court just to have a phenomenal time beating number one Purdue. 

Under the moonlight, SESP senior Jude Abijah would head into the city for a night of music and fun. 

JUDE ABIJAH: In the evening, I probably would want to get a light meal and go to a concert. Doesn’t have to be like a huge concert. It can be, but it could also be like a small, indie local band, maybe. And just feel some music with some people—I feel like that’d be really fun. 

After a long night out, Abijah would appease his appetite with a delicious late night dinner.  

ABIJAH: After that, I would like to get a huge meal. I remember one time after a concert, I went to get tacos in Pilsen. And that was literally the best experience of my life, so, if I could replicate that feeling, that would be great. 

For Bikales, the end of her day would be picturesque. 

[nat sound: waves crashing]

BIKALES: I always find that stargazing on the beach is the best because it’s the most clear as long as it’s a clear night out and in my ideal world. I mean, an ideal day would be very clear so that you can see everything and then we’d come back, get ready for bed and then go to bed around midnight and get a good night’s rest. And yeah, that would be my perfect day.

For WNUR News, I’m Bazil Frueh.